JP7538625B2 - Pellicle case, holding unit and release film - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a pellicle case, a holding unit, and a release film.

In the manufacturing process of large-scale integrated circuits (LSIs), etc., pellicles are used to protect photomasks from dust. A pellicle generally has a pellicle frame, a pellicle film, which is a transparent thin film, arranged on one end of the pellicle frame, and an adhesive layer arranged on the other end of the pellicle frame (the side opposite the pellicle film) for attaching it to the photomask.

The pellicle can be held in a pellicle case. For example, the method described in Patent Document 1 is known as a method for holding a pellicle in a pellicle case. In this method, a protective film (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "liner") is attached to the adhesive layer of the pellicle, and the pellicle is then placed in the pellicle case, and a portion of the liner is fixed to the pellicle case with adhesive tape. When the pellicle is removed from the pellicle case, the liner is peeled off from the adhesive layer of the pellicle, and is left in the pellicle case by the adhesive tape.

JP 2007-017811 A

As described above, in the method described in Patent Document 1, when the pellicle is removed from the pellicle case, the liner is peeled off from the adhesive layer of the pellicle, and the liner is left in the pellicle case by the adhesive tape. Here, the inventors have noted that, depending on various circumstances, there are not only cases where it is desirable to remove the pellicle while leaving the liner in the pellicle case, but also cases where it is desirable to remove the liner and pellicle from the pellicle case (removing the pellicle together with the liner).

However, when storing a pellicle in a tray with adhesive tape, it takes time to store it because there are many places where the tape needs to be applied. If it takes a long time to store it, there is a risk of foreign matter adhering to it.

In addition, with the method described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to remove the pellicle together with the liner from the pellicle case. In relation to this, in the method described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to peel off the tape that attaches part of the liner to the pellicle case before removing the pellicle. However, in this case, peeling off the adhesive tape may cause the adhesive components of the adhesive tape to scatter, and the scattered adhesive components may contaminate the pellicle membrane.

The present invention has been proposed in light of these circumstances, and the object of the present invention is to provide a pellicle case, a holding unit, and a release film that can hold a pellicle in a case appropriately during storage and transportation, and that can also be removed from the case appropriately without glue flying when the pellicle is removed.

The present inventors have conducted extensive research to solve the above problems, and have found that by using a non-adhesive holding unit to hold the release film of a pellicle, it is possible to achieve both suitable holding during storage and transportation and suitable removal, thereby completing the present invention.
That is, the present invention is as follows.
[1]
A pellicle case for storing a pellicle having an adhesive layer disposed on one end surface side of a frame and a release film disposed so as to cover the adhesive layer,
a tray for placing the pellicle with the release film side facing the pellicle;
A cover for covering the tray; and
a non-adhesive holding unit disposed between the tray and the cover, which holds the release film on the tray side, thereby holding the pellicle on the tray side;
The holding unit is characterized in that it comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a plate member having an engagement portion that engages with the surface shape of the tray and a pressing portion that presses the release film from one side, and an electrostatically charged sheet member that is arranged between the release film and the tray.
[2]
The pellicle case described in [1], wherein the holding unit is equipped with a one-touch mechanism that can control the pressing force that presses the release film toward the tray with a one-touch operation.
[3]
The pellicle case described in [2], wherein the one-touch mechanism includes a cam lock fastener having a corresponding plug and socket.
[4]
the tray has a protrusion that can be inserted into a through hole formed in the release film,
The pellicle case described in [3], wherein the socket of the cam lock fastener is provided inside the convex portion.
[5]
the holding unit includes a plate member having an engagement portion that engages with a surface shape of the tray and a pressing portion that presses the release film from one side,
The pellicle case according to [3] or [4], wherein the plug of the cam lock fastener is provided in the pressing portion.
[6]
The pellicle case described in [1], wherein the engagement portion of the plate member has at least three or more bent portions corresponding to the fitting shape of the tray and the cover.
[7]
The pellicle case described in any of [1] to [6], further comprising a pin holding mechanism for inserting and fixing a pin into a non-through pin insertion hole provided on a side of the frame of the pellicle to be placed on the tray.

The present invention provides a pellicle case, holding unit, and release film that can hold a pellicle in a case during storage and transportation, and can be removed from the case without glue splashing.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a pellicle. FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a pellicle case. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a pellicle is placed on a tray. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a pellicle is stored in a pellicle case. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the pellicle is removed from the pellicle case. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a pellicle case. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the pellicle case. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a cam lock fastener. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the pellicle case. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the pellicle case. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the pellicle case.

Below, a form for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter abbreviated as "embodiment") will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and can be practiced with various modifications within the scope of the gist. In each drawing, the same components are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations may be omitted.

[First embodiment]
An overview of the pellicle according to this embodiment will be described below. Fig. 1(a) is a top view showing a pellicle 1, and Fig. 1(b) is a vertical cross-sectional view.
In the following description, the upper side in each figure will be referred to as "top" and the lower side as "bottom".

<Pellicle>
The pellicle 1 is a structure that provides dust protection for a photomask in photolithography etc. The pellicle 1 includes a pellicle frame 2, a pellicle film 3, an adhesive layer 4, and a release film 5.

The pellicle frame 2 can have any shape that allows the pellicle film 3 to be stretched over the pellicle frame 2. For example, when viewed from the front of the frame, the frame can have an outer shape such as a rectangle, a polygon, a circle, or an ellipse. The rectangle can be a square, a rectangle, or the like, and can have both right-angled corners and roughly rectangular shapes with rounded corners (Figure 1). The polygon can be a triangle, a trapezoid, a parallelogram, a pentagon, a hexagon, or the like.

The size of the pellicle frame 2 and its opening can be determined according to the size of the photomask. When the pellicle frame 2 is rectangular in shape consisting of a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides when viewed from the front, the long side length can be 500 mm to 2000 mm, the short side length can be 300 mm to 1800 mm, the widths of the long and short sides can be 4.0 mm to 20.0 mm, and/or the frame height can be 2.0 mm to 8.0 mm.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pellicle frame 2 has an edge portion. The edge portion can have a rod-shaped edge member that extends linearly. A pair of edge members can be arranged parallel to each other with a gap therebetween, and similarly, another pair of edge members can be arranged parallel to each other with a gap therebetween. The ends of the two contacting edge members can be connected so that they form approximately a right angle with each other.

The pellicle frame 2 and its edge members can be formed from known materials such as, for example, aluminum; aluminum alloys (e.g., 5000 series, 6000 series, 7000 series, etc.); steel; stainless steel; magnesium alloys; ceramics (e.g., SiC, AlN, Al ₂ O ₃ , etc.); composite materials of ceramics and metals (e.g., Al-SiC, Al-AlN, Al-Al ₂ O ₃ , etc.); engineering plastics such as PE, PA, PC, PEEK, etc.; fiber composite materials such as GFRP, CFRP, etc.; or combinations thereof.

If necessary, an adhesive (e.g., acrylic, vinyl acetate, silicone, or rubber-based adhesive) or grease (e.g., silicone or fluorine-based grease) may be applied to the inner or entire surface of the pellicle frame 2 to capture foreign matter.

The pellicle film 3 is a transparent thin film formed from nitrocellulose, a cellulose derivative, a fluoropolymer, or the like. The pellicle film 3 has a thickness of 10 μm or less, and is formed so as to sufficiently transmit the light emitted by the light source in photolithography. As shown in FIG. 1(b), the pellicle film 3 is adhered and fixed to one end side of the pellicle frame 2 with an adhesive (not shown), and covers the pellicle frame 2.

As shown in FIG. 1(b), an adhesive layer 4 is provided on the other end of the pellicle frame 2 (the side of the pellicle frame 2 opposite the pellicle film 3) for attaching the pellicle 1 to the photomask.

The adhesive layer 4 is composed of an adhesive such as an acrylic, rubber, vinyl, epoxy, or silicone adhesive, and more preferably is made of an acrylic, rubber, or silicone adhesive. The thickness of the adhesive layer 4 is preferably, for example, 0.8 mm to 2.5 mm.

A release film 5 (liner) is disposed so as to cover the adhesive layer 4. This release film 5 protects the adhesive layer 4 when not in use, and is peeled off from the adhesive layer 4 when the pellicle 1 is in use.
A film of about 30 to 200 μm in thickness made of polyester or the like is generally used for the release film 5. If the peeling force required to peel the release film 5 from the adhesive layer 4 is too large, the adhesive layer 4 may be deformed during peeling, and therefore, to ensure an appropriate peeling force, the film surface in contact with the adhesive may be subjected to a release treatment using silicone, fluorine, or the like.

The release film 5 has a width greater than that of the adhesive layer 4 and is disposed so as to protrude beyond the adhesive layer 4 onto the outer periphery of the pellicle frame 2 .
As described below, when storing the pellicle 1 in the pellicle case 10, the pellicle 1 is held on the tray 20 side by a non-adhesive holding unit that holds the release film 5, specifically, the portion that protrudes from the adhesive layer 4, on the tray 20 side.

The pellicle 1 configured as described above can be transported and stored while held in the pellicle case 10.

<Pellicle case>
(Configuration of pellicle case)
An overview of the pellicle case according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of a pellicle case. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state where a pellicle is held on a tray of the pellicle case. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state where a pellicle is held in the pellicle case. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state where a pellicle is removed from the pellicle case.

A pellicle case 10 for housing the pellicle 1 includes a tray 20 for placing the pellicle 1. The pellicle 1 is placed on the tray 20 with the release film 5 side facing the tray 20.
The pellicle case 10 of the present invention is provided with a non-adhesive holding unit that holds the release film 5 on the tray 20 side, thereby holding the pellicle 1 on the tray 20 side.
Here, the term "non-adhesive" means that "adhesive tape for attaching and fixing the release film 5 to the tray 20 is not included."

The holding unit has a non-adhesive surface that does not contain any adhesive components on the contact surface with the release film 5, and holds the pellicle 1 on the tray 20 side by holding the release film 5 on the tray 20 side.

By holding the pellicle 1 on the tray 20 side with a non-adhesive holding unit, it is possible to prevent the adhesive components from scattering (glue splashing) when the pellicle 1 is removed from the pellicle case 10, and to prevent the pellicle film 3 from being contaminated by the scattered adhesive components.

The holding unit holds the pellicle 1 on the tray 20, for example, by using at least one force selected from the group consisting of a pressing force that presses the release film 5 toward the tray 20, an electrostatic force that attracts the release film 5 toward the tray 20, and a magnetic force that attracts the release film 5 toward the tray 20.

By holding the pellicle 1 on the tray 20 side using the non-adhesive means described above, the pellicle 1 can be held in the pellicle case 10 in an appropriate manner, while at the same time preventing glue from flying when the pellicle 1 is removed from the pellicle case 10, allowing it to be removed in an appropriate manner.

In addition, with the non-adhesive means described above, when removing the pellicle 1 from the pellicle case 10, it is possible to switch between leaving the release film 5 on the tray 20 side or not without requiring any special mechanism or significant effort, and it can be appropriately selected depending on whether the work is done by machine or manually.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pellicle case 10 further has a cover 30 for covering the tray 20. The tray 20 can have an area in the center for placing the pellicle 1, and an area around the periphery for fitting with the cover 30.

The tray 20 and cover 30 are made of resin materials such as polyethylene terephthalate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, acrylic, polycarbonate, and polyvinyl chloride.

The thickness of the tray 20 and the cover 30 is preferably a value sufficient to protect the pellicle 1 from vibrations and shocks that may occur during transportation or storage of the pellicle 1, and is preferably, for example, 2.0 to 10.0 mm.
The planar shape and size of the tray 20 and cover 30 are determined appropriately according to the shape and size of the pellicle 1 to be held.

The tray 20 has a fixing surface 21 for holding the pellicle 1, and a fitting portion 24 having an uneven shape is formed on the periphery of the fixing surface 21. The fixing surface 21 refers to the outermost surface of the tray 20 on which the pellicle 1 is placed.

When the cover 30 is fitted to the tray 20, it has a ceiling surface 31 that is approximately parallel to the fixing surface 21 of the tray 20, and a slope 32 that is continuous with the ceiling surface 31 around the periphery of the ceiling surface 31. In addition, a fitting portion 33 having an uneven shape is formed on the periphery of the cover 30. The fitting portion 33 formed on the periphery of the cover 30 and the fitting portion 24 formed on the periphery of the tray 20 can be fitted together.

When the cover 30 and the tray 20 are fitted together, a space 11 for accommodating the pellicle 1 is formed between the cover 30 and the tray 20 (see Figure 4).

(Storage of pellicle in pellicle case)
3 and 4 are diagrams showing a state in which the pellicle 1 is stored in the pellicle case 10. In the storage space 11 of the pellicle case 10, the pellicle 1 is placed on a fixing surface 21 in the center of a tray 20.

The holding unit according to this embodiment includes a plate member 40 having an engagement portion 41 that engages with the surface shape of the tray 20 and a pressing portion 42 that presses the release film 5 from one side.

Then, as shown in FIG. 3, one end side (pressing portion 42) of the plate member 40 is placed on the release film 5 of the pellicle 1 placed on the tray 20, and the other end side (engagement portion 41) of the plate member 40 is sandwiched between the tray 20 and the cover 30, i.e., between the fitting portion 24 and the fitting portion 33. As shown in FIG. 4, the release film 5 is pressed toward the tray 20 by the plate member 40, thereby holding the pellicle 1 against the tray 20.

In addition, when the engaging portion 41 of the plate member 40 is fixed with the cover 30, the pressing portion 42 of the plate member 40, i.e., the side pressing the release film 5, may rise slightly above the fixing surface 21, resulting in a weakened force for fixing the release film 5 (see Figure 6).
Therefore, it is preferable that the engagement portion 41 of the plate member 40 has at least three bent portions 41 a corresponding to the fitting shape (fitting portion 24 , fitting portion 33 ) of the tray 20 and the cover 30 .
This prevents the pressing portion 42 side of the plate member 40 from floating up when the engaging portion 41 of the plate member 40 is sandwiched and fixed between the tray 20 and the cover 30, and allows the release film 5 to be sufficiently pressed and fixed.

Also, an angle that takes into account the amount of lifting may be set in advance so that the pressing portion 42 of the plate member 40 becomes approximately parallel to the fixing surface 21 when it is lifted. This allows the pressing portion 42 of the plate member 40 to become approximately parallel to the fixing surface 21 when the engagement portion 41 of the plate member 40 is sandwiched and fixed between the tray 20 and the cover 30, and the release film 5 can be sufficiently pressed and fixed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the tray 20 on which the pellicle 1 is placed can be covered with a cover 30. This makes it easier to prevent dust from adhering to the pellicle 1 and also makes it easier to protect the pellicle 1 from vibrations and shocks during transportation and storage.

When the cover 30 covers the tray 20, it is preferable that a part of the inclined surface 32 is made into an abutment portion 32a that abuts against at least a part of the pellicle frame 2 of the pellicle 1 placed on the tray 20. In this way, by covering the tray 20 with the cover 30, the abutment portion 32a can press the pellicle 1 against the tray 20, thereby more reliably preventing the pellicle 1 from moving within the pellicle case 10 during transport.

Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a non-through pin insertion hole on the side of the pellicle frame 2 of the pellicle 1, and to fix the pellicle 1 placed on the tray 20 of the pellicle case 10 by inserting a pin into this pin insertion hole. This more reliably prevents the pellicle 1 from moving within the pellicle case 10 due to vibrations during transportation, etc.

When removing the pellicle 1 from the pellicle case 10, particularly if the release film 5 is not to be left on the tray 20 side, the pellicle 1 is lifted with the plate member 40 released, as shown in FIG. 5(a). Since the release film 5 is released from the pressure of the plate member 40, the pellicle 1 is lifted together with the release film 5.

When the release film 5 is to be left on the tray 20 side, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the pellicle 1 is lifted without releasing the plate member 40. Since the release film 5 is pressed by the plate member 40, it is peeled off from the adhesive layer 4 of the pellicle 1 and remains on the tray 20 side.

In this way, when removing the pellicle 1 from the pellicle case 10, it is possible to switch between leaving the release film 5 on the tray 20 side or not without requiring any special mechanism or significant effort, and the method can be selected appropriately depending on whether the work is done mechanically or manually.

In addition, since no adhesive tape is used to secure the release film 5, no glue splattering occurs even when the release film 5 is lifted up.

[Second embodiment]
A second embodiment of the pellicle case will be outlined with reference to the drawings.
The pellicle case of this embodiment is substantially similar to the first embodiment described above in terms of the tray and cover, but differs in the manner of the holding unit that holds the pellicle on the tray side.
Therefore, in the following description, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and descriptions of common parts will be omitted. The same applies to the following third to fifth embodiments.

Figure 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of a pellicle case of this embodiment. In Figure 7, only the holding unit portion of the pellicle case is shown.

In this embodiment, the holding unit includes a one-touch mechanism that can control the pressing force for pressing the release film 5 toward the tray 20 by a one-touch operation.
The one-touch mechanism is, for example, a cam lock fastener 50 having a corresponding plug 51 and socket 54 .

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of a cam lock fastener 50. As shown in FIG.
The cam lock fastener 50 includes a plug 51 and a socket 54 .
The socket 54 has an insertion opening 55 .

The plug 51 includes an insertion portion 52 and a push button 53. The insertion portion 52 is the portion that is inserted into the insertion port 55 of the socket 54. The push button 53 is a member that switches between connection and disconnection of the socket 54 and the plug 51 with a single touch when it is pressed while the insertion portion 52 is inserted into the insertion port 55. No tools are required to switch between connection and disconnection using the push button 53.

In this embodiment, the tray 20 has a protrusion 22 that protrudes from the fixing surface 21, and a socket 54 of the cam lock fastener 50 is arranged inside the protrusion 22. This protrusion 22 can also be used as a positioning pin. The positioning pins are arranged along the outer shape of the pellicle 1 that is planned to be placed on the fixing surface 21, and these positioning pins can determine the position of the pellicle 1.

The pellicle case 10 of this embodiment includes a plate member 40, and the plug 51 of the cam lock fastener 50 is integrally provided on the pressing portion 42 of the plate member 40. By using the plate member 40, the release film 5 can be pressed with a surface more firmly than in the case of using only the cam lock fastener 50, and the pellicle 1 can be fixed more reliably.

Furthermore, since the plug 51 is provided integrally with the plate member 40, it is possible to prevent the plug 51, which is a small part, from being lost when, for example, the cam lock fastener 50 is released.
Of course, the present invention is not limited to this, and the release film 5 may be fixed only by the cam lock fastener 50 without providing the plate member 40 .

A through hole 5a through which the protrusion 22 can be inserted is formed in advance in the release film 5 of the pellicle 1, and the plate member 40 is arranged so that the insertion part 52 of the plug 51 is inserted into the insertion port 55 of the socket 54 with the protrusion 22 and the socket 54 inserted into this through hole 5a. The socket 54 and the plug 51 are connected by pressing (one touch) the push button 53 of the plug 51 with the insertion part 52 inserted into the insertion port 55. This presses the release film 5 against the fixing surface 21 of the tray 20, thereby holding the pellicle 1 on the tray 20 side.

In addition, when removing the pellicle 1 from the pellicle case 10, it is possible to switch between leaving the release film 5 on the tray 20 side or not without requiring any special mechanism or significant effort, and the method can be selected appropriately depending on whether the work is done mechanically or manually.

In other words, when the release film 5 is to be left on the tray 20 side, the pellicle 1 is lifted without releasing the cam lock fastener 50. Since the release film 5 is pressed by the cam lock fastener 50 and the plate member 40, it is peeled off from the adhesive layer 4 of the pellicle 1 and remains on the tray 20 side.

On the other hand, if the release film 5 is not to be left on the tray 20 side, the cam lock fastener 50 is released and removed. The connection between the socket 54 and the plug 51 is released by pressing the push button 53 of the connected plug 51 (one touch). If the plate member 40 is arranged, it is removed. When the pellicle 1 is lifted in this state, the release film 5 is released from the pressure of the cam lock fastener 50 and the plate member 40, so the pellicle 1 is lifted together with the release film 5.

In addition, since no adhesive tape is used to secure the release film 5, no glue splattering occurs even when the release film 5 is lifted up.

[Third embodiment]
An outline of a third embodiment of a pellicle case will be described with reference to the drawings.
9 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of a pellicle case according to the present embodiment, in which only a holding unit is shown extracted from the pellicle case.
In the following description, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and descriptions of common parts will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the holding unit includes a plate member 40 having an engagement portion 41 that engages with the surface shape of the tray 20 and a pressing portion 42 that presses the release film 5 from one side. In this embodiment, the plate member 40 is made of a magnetic material.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the holding unit has a magnet member 60 (magnetic member for plate member) arranged on at least one of the inside and outside of the tray 20, that is, on the surface opposite the fixed surface 21 of the tray 20 in the example shown in FIG. 9. The polarity of the magnet member 60 is set to attract the magnetic material constituting the plate member 40. The magnetic force of the magnet member 60 attracts the plate member 40, particularly the pressing portion 42, to the tray 20 side, and the release film 5 is pressed to the tray 20 side by the plate member 40, thereby holding the pellicle 1 to the tray 20 side.

Specifically, for example, a reinforcing plate 61 is provided on the surface of the tray 20 opposite the fixed surface 21, and a magnet member 60 made of a neodymium magnet or the like is arranged inside the reinforcing plate 61 so that it is at approximately the same height as the surface of the tray 20. In addition, a movable jig 43 that can open and close the plate member 40 between the engagement portion 41 and the pressing portion 42 is provided in such a way that the release film 5 is sandwiched between them, and the release film 5 can be repeatedly locked and unlocked by opening and closing this movable jig 43. Note that, since the adhesive strength is weakened if the tray 20 is present between the magnet member 60 and the movable jig 43, it is preferable to directly sandwich the release film 5 with the movable jig 43.

In this embodiment, the pressing portion 42 of the plate member 40 is attracted toward the tray 20 by the magnet member 60, so there is no problem of the pressing portion 42 floating up when the engaging portion 41 of the plate member 40 is fixed by the cover 30 as described above (first embodiment). Therefore, the engaging portion 41 of this embodiment does not need to have a bent portion 41a.

In addition, when removing the pellicle 1 from the pellicle case 10, the choice of whether to leave the release film 5 on the tray 20 side or not can be easily switched by opening and closing the movable jig 43 of the plate member 40, and can be appropriately selected depending on whether the work is done by machine or manually.

In other words, when the release film 5 is to be left on the tray 20 side, the movable jig 43 is closed and the pellicle 1 is lifted. Since the release film 5 is pressed by the pressing portion 42 of the plate member 40, it is peeled off from the adhesive layer 4 of the pellicle 1 and remains on the tray 20 side.

On the other hand, if the release film 5 is not to be left on the tray 20 side, the movable jig 43 is opened and the pellicle 1 is lifted. Since the release film 5 is released from the pressure applied by the pressure portion 42 of the plate member 40, the pellicle 1 is lifted together with the release film 5.

In addition, since no adhesive tape is used to secure the release film 5, no glue splattering occurs even when the release film 5 is lifted up.

[Fourth embodiment]
An outline of a fourth embodiment of a pellicle case will be described with reference to the drawings.
10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of a pellicle case according to the present embodiment, in which only a holding unit portion of the pellicle case is shown.
In the following description, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and descriptions of common parts will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the holding unit is disposed between the release film 5 and the tray 20 and includes a statically charged sheet member (hereinafter referred to as the electrostatic sheet) 70.

By disposing an electrostatic sheet 70 between the tray 20 and the release film 5, the electrostatic force of the electrostatic sheet 70 attracts the release film 5 toward the tray 20, thereby holding the pellicle 1 toward the tray 20.

The electrostatic sheet 70 may be sandwiched between the tray 20 and the release film 5 as a separate entity, or the electrostatic sheet 70 may be attached in advance to the surface of the release film 5 of the pellicle 1 opposite the adhesive layer 4, i.e., the surface facing the fixed surface 21 of the tray 20.

The adhesive force of the electrostatic sheet 70 can be adjusted by appropriately selecting its type and charge amount. For example, by appropriately adjusting the magnitude relationship between the adhesive force between the adhesive layer 4 and the release film 5 and the adhesive force of the electrostatic sheet 70 on the release film 5, it is possible to adjust whether or not the release film 5 is left behind when the pellicle 1 is removed from the tray 20, and this can be selected appropriately depending on whether the work is done by machine or manually.

The electrostatic sheet 70 can be made of a resin sheet such as PET, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, or PTFE, whose surface is electrostatically charged, or the electrostatic sheet 70 can be formed by providing a predetermined electrostatic layer on the surface of the tray 20. The electrostatic sheet 70 can also be formed by providing a self-adhesive resin layer on the surface of the tray 20 instead of a static layer.

In other words, if the release film 5 is left on the tray 20 side, the adsorption force of the electrostatic sheet 70 on the release film 5 should be made greater than the adhesive force between the adhesive layer 4 and the release film 5. On the other hand, if the release film 5 is not left on the tray 20 side, the adsorption force of the electrostatic sheet 70 on the release film 5 should be made smaller than the adhesive force between the adhesive layer 4 and the release film 5.

In addition, since no adhesive tape is used to secure the release film 5, no glue splattering occurs even when the release film 5 is lifted up.

[Fifth embodiment]
An outline of a fifth embodiment of a pellicle case will be described with reference to the drawings.
11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of a pellicle case according to the present embodiment, in which only a holding unit portion of the pellicle case is shown.
In the following description, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and descriptions of common parts will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the holding unit includes a magnet member 80 (a magnet member for a release film) arranged on the surface of the tray 20 opposite to the fixing surface 21 .
The release film 5 is made to contain a magnetic material, and a magnet member 80 is arranged on the surface opposite to the fixed surface 21 of the tray 20, so that the release film 5 is attracted to the tray 20 side by magnetic force, thereby holding the pellicle 1 on the tray 20 side.

Specifically, for example, a reinforcing plate 81 is provided on the surface of the tray 20 opposite the fixed surface 21, and a magnet member 80 made of a neodymium magnet or the like is disposed inside the reinforcing plate 81 so that the magnet member 80 is at approximately the same height as the surface of the tray 20. If the release film 5 is configured to include a magnetic material, the polarity of the magnet member 80 is set to attract the magnetic material.

The advantages of the holding unit according to this embodiment compared to other embodiments include a simpler structure and superior productivity.

By appropriately adjusting the magnitude relationship between the adhesive strength between the adhesive layer 4 and the release film 5 and the attraction force of the release film 5 by the magnet member 80, it is possible to adjust whether or not the release film 5 is left behind when the pellicle 1 is removed from the tray 20, and this can be appropriately selected depending on whether the work is done by machine or manually.

In other words, if the release film 5 is left on the tray 20 side, the attraction force of the magnet member 80 to the release film 5 should be made greater than the adhesive force between the adhesive layer 4 and the release film 5. On the other hand, if the release film 5 is not left on the tray 20 side, the attraction force of the magnet member 80 to the release film 5 should be made smaller than the adhesive force between the adhesive layer 4 and the release film 5.

In addition, because no adhesive tape is used to secure the release film 5, no glue splattering occurs even when the release film 5 is lifted up.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.
For example, it is also possible to apply a combination of a plurality of the above-described embodiments.

By using the pellicle case of the present invention, the pellicle can be conveniently held in the pellicle case or tray, and the pellicle can be conveniently removed from the pellicle case, so it can be widely used as a case for transporting and storing pellicles.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Pellicle 2 Pellicle frame 3 Pellicle film 4 Adhesive layer 5 Release film 5a Through hole 10 Pellicle case 11 Storage space 20 Tray 21a Fixing surface 24 Fitting portion 30 Cover 31 Ceiling surface 32 Slope 32a Abutment portion 33 Fitting portion 40 Plate member 41 Engagement portion 41a Bending portion 42 Pressing portion 43 Movable jig 50 Cam lock fastener 51 Plug 52 Insertion portion 53 Push button 54 Socket 55 Insertion port 60 Magnet member (Magnetic member for plate member)
61 Reinforcing plate 70 Electrostatic sheet 80 Magnet member (magnet member for release film)
81 Reinforcement plate

Claims (7)

A pellicle case for storing a pellicle having an adhesive layer disposed on one end surface side of a frame and a release film disposed so as to cover the adhesive layer,
a tray for placing the pellicle with the release film side facing the pellicle;
A cover for covering the tray; and
a non-adhesive holding unit disposed between the tray and the cover, which holds the release film on the tray side, thereby holding the pellicle on the tray side;
The holding unit is characterized in that it comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a plate member having an engagement portion that engages with the surface shape of the tray and a pressing portion that presses the release film from one side, and an electrostatically charged sheet member that is arranged between the release film and the tray. The pellicle case according to claim 1 , wherein the holding unit is provided with a one-touch mechanism capable of controlling the pressing force for pressing the release film against the tray by a one-touch operation. The pellicle case according to claim 2, wherein the one-touch mechanism comprises a cam lock fastener having a corresponding plug and socket. the tray has a protrusion that can be inserted into a through hole formed in the release film,
The pellicle case according to claim 3 , wherein the socket of the cam lock fastener is provided inside the protrusion. the holding unit includes a plate member having an engagement portion that engages with a surface shape of the tray and a pressing portion that presses the release film from one side,
The pellicle case according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the plug of the cam lock fastener is provided on the pressing portion. The pellicle case according to claim 1, wherein the engagement portion of the plate member has at least three bent portions corresponding to the fitting shape of the tray and the cover. The pellicle case according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the holding unit further comprises a pin holding mechanism for inserting and fixing a pin into a non-through pin insertion hole provided on the side of the frame of the pellicle placed on the tray.

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