Support frame for pellicle

Abstract

A support frame for a pellicle includes a frame body made of an aluminum alloy. The frame body has: a top surface onto which a pellicle film is bonded; and an underside surface onto which a transparent substrate is bonded. A material of which the frame body is made has a Young's modulus larger than that of which the transparent substrate is made. The structure described above makes it possible to reduce deformation of the transparent substrate.

Claims

1. A support frame for a pellicle for a photomask used in manufacturing a liquid crystal panel, comprising a frame body made of aluminum alloy and having a shorter side of not less than 250 mm and a longer side of not less than 350 mm in dimension, wherein the frame body has: a top surface onto which a pellicle film is bonded; and an underside surface onto which a transparent substrate is bonded, and wherein a material of which the frame body is made has a Young's modulus larger than that of which the transparent substrate is made.

2. The support frame for a pellicle according to claim 1, wherein the material of the frame body has the Young's modulus not less than 72 GPa.

3. The support frame for a pellicle according to claim 1, wherein the material of the frame body is an aluminum alloy composed of Al, Si, and unavoidable impurities.

4. The support frame for a pellicle according to claim 1, wherein the material of the frame body is an aluminum alloy composed of Al, Mn, and unavoidable impurities.

5. The support frame for a pellicle according to claim 1, wherein the material of the frame body is an aluminum alloy composed of Al, SiC, and unavoidable impurities.

6. The support frame for a pellicle according to claim 2, wherein the material of the frame body is an aluminum alloy composed of Al, Si, and unavoidable impurities.

7. The support frame for a pellicle according to or claim 2, wherein the material of the frame body is an aluminum alloy composed of Al, Mn, and unavoidable impurities.

8. The support frame for a pellicle according to claim 2, wherein the material of the frame body is an aluminum alloy composed of Al, SiC, and unavoidable impurities.

9. The support frame for a pellicle according to claim 3, wherein the material of the frame body is an aluminum alloy which is composed of SiAl alloy containing a 5 to 13 mass percent of Si and unavoidable impurities.

10. The support frame for a pellicle according to claim 4, wherein the material of the frame body is an aluminum alloy which is composed of SiMn alloy containing a 5 to 15 mass percent of Mn and unavoidable impurities.

11. The support frame for a pellicle according to claim 5, wherein the material of the frame body is an aluminum alloy which is composed of aluminum alloy containing a 10 to 30 mass percent of SiC and unavoidable impurities.

12. The support frame for a pellicle according to claim 6, wherein the material of the frame body is an aluminum alloy which is composed of SiAl alloy containing a 5 to 13 mass percent of Si and unavoidable impurities.

13. The support frame pellicle according to claim 7, wherein the material of the frame body is an aluminum alloy which is composed of SiMn alloy containing a 5 to 15 mass percent of Mn and unavoidable impurities.

14. The support frame for a pellicle according to claim 8, wherein the material of the frame body is an aluminum alloy which is composed of aluminum alloy containing a 10 to 30 mass percent of SiC and unavoidable impurities.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram illustrating a pellicle and a transparent substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a side sectional diagram illustrating the pellicle and the transparent substrate according to the embodiment of the present invention.

EMBODIMENT FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(3) An embodiment of the present invention is described in detail with reference to related drawings where appropriate.

(4) Each of the figures according to the embodiment illustrates some parts of a support frame schematically where appropriate, so as to explain a structure of the support frame in an easily understood manner.

(5) In the description below, a front and a back, a right and a left, and a top side and an underside are set so as to explain the support frame in an easily understood manner, which is not intended to limit the structure and a state how the support frame is used.

(6) A support frame 1 according to an embodiment is used for a pellicle P, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The pellicle P is a dust-proof cover for preventing dust or the like from adhering to an underside surface Ma of a transparent substrate M (a photomask) in a photolithography step for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel.

(7) The transparent substrate M is a glass substrate on which a circuit pattern is drawn and has an outer circumferential part supported by a support mechanism of a photolithography apparatus.

(8) The pellicle P includes: the support frame 1 that surrounds an entire circuit pattern (not shown) drawn on the transparent substrate M; and a pellicle film 2 that covers a surface of the support frame 1.

(9) The pellicle P is suitable for use in manufacturing a large liquid crystal panel which has the transparent substrate M with a shorter side of not less than 300 mm and a longer side of not less than 400 mm in dimensions. The support frame 1 of the pellicle P as described above has, for example, a shorter side of not less than 250 mm and a longer side of not less than 350 mm in dimensions.

(10) The support frame 1 includes a frame body 10 which is rectangular as viewed from above. The frame body 10 is manufactured from aluminum alloy material.

(11) The frame body 10 includes: a pair of long frames 11, 11 on a front and a back sides; and a pair of short frames 12, 12 on a right and a left sides. The long frames 11, 11 and the short frames 12, 12 each have a rectangular-shaped cross section.

(12) The long frames 11, 11 constitute respective long sides of the frame body 10. The short frames 12, 12 constitute respective short sides of the frame body 10.

(13) A material of which the frame body 10 in this embodiment is made is an aluminum alloy (JIS 4000 series aluminum alloy) which is composed of SiAl alloy containing a 5 to 13 mass percent of Si (silicon) and unavoidable impurities.

(14) The material of the frame body 10 has the Young's modulus not less than 72 GPa. In the support frame 1 in this embodiment, the material of the frame body 10 is set to have the Young's modulus larger than that of the transparent substrate M. This makes rigidity of the frame body 10 larger than that of the transparent substrate M.

(15) As illustrated in FIG. 2, an adhesive agent is applied to the underside surface 10b of the frame body 10. The underside surface 10b of the frame body 10 is thus bonded to the underside surface Ma of the transparent substrate M via an adhesive layer 5.

(16) This conveniently prevents the transparent substrate M from easily undergoing deflection under its own weight, because the frame body 10 having high rigidity supports the transparent substrate M on an underside surface Ma side.

(17) The pellicle film 2 is a transparent polymer membrane having a thickness of 10 m or less and made of nitrocellulose, cellulose derivatives, fluorine polymers, or the like. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the pellicle film 2 is rectangular as viewed from above and has a shape same as an outer shape of the support frame 1.

(18) As illustrated in FIG. 2, the pellicle film 2 is bonded to a top surface 10a of the frame body 10 via a bonding layer 4.

(19) As illustrated in FIG. 1, the support frame 1 described above have the frame body 10 having high rigidity that can securely support the transparent substrate M. This makes it possible to effectively reduce deformation (deflection) of the large transparent substrate M. The photolithography apparatus can thus support the transparent substrate M suitably flat. This makes it possible to transfer a circuit pattern drawn on the transparent substrate M onto resist on a glass substrate with high accuracy.

(20) A maximum amount of self-weight deflection of the transparent substrate M to which the support frame 1 in this embodiment is bonded can be reduced to about 20% of a maximum amount of self-weight deflection of the transparent substrate M to which a conventional support frame of which material has the Young's modulus not more than the material of the transparent substrate M is bonded.

(21) In the support frame 1 in this embodiment, rigidity of the frame body 10 is made larger by increasing the Young's modulus of the material of the frame body 10. This makes it possible to avoid increasing a size of the frame body 10, compared to that of a frame body of the conventional support frame.

(22) The support frame 1 in this embodiment can ensure a sufficient rigidity of the frame body 10 and prevent a height and a width of the frame body 10 from increasing.

(23) The support frame 1 in this embodiment thus allows: an inner circumferential dimension of the frame body 10 to become large; an exposure area of a glass substrate to become large; and a height of the frame body 10 to become small. The support frame 1 in this embodiment can also enhance efficiency in producing a liquid crystal panel, because, even when an outer circumferential dimension of the support frame 1 is limited in accordance with a structure of a support mechanism of a photolithography apparatus, the inner circumferential dimension of the support frame 1 can be made larger.

(24) The support frame 1 in this embodiment makes it possible to support the transparent substrate M, using the frame body 10 having high rigidity. This allows: deformation of the transparent substrate M to be reduced; and accuracy in dimensions of the transparent substrate M to be made more stable. The pellicle P using the support frame 1 in this embodiment is thus suitable for the transparent substrate M on which a superfine circuit pattern is drawn.

(25) The frame body 10 having high rigidity of the support frame 1 in this embodiment is hardly deformable. This makes it possible to prevent tension of the pellicle film 2 from decreasing, after the pellicle film 2 is bonded to the frame body 10.

(26) The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. The present invention is not, however, limited to the aforementioned embodiment, and various changes are possible within a scope not departing from the gist of the present invention.

(27) The frame body 10 in this embodiment is made of aluminum alloy containing Si. The material of which the frame body 10 is made is not, however, limited to this.

(28) The material of the frame body 10 in this embodiment includes, for example, an aluminum alloy which is composed of AlMn alloy containing a 5 to 15 mass percent of Mn (manganese) and unavoidable impurities.

(29) Another material of the frame body 10 in this embodiment is, for example, an aluminum alloy composite which is composed of aluminum alloy containing a 10 to 30 mass percent of SiC (silicon carbide) and unavoidable impurities.

(30) In this embodiment, the support frame 1 is attached to the underside surface Ma of the transparent substrate M. The support frame 1 may be, however, attached to a top surface of the transparent substrate M.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(31) 1 support frame 2 pellicle film 10 frame body 10a top surface 10b underside surface 11 long frame 12 short frame M transparent substrate P pellicle