CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 109124946 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on Jul. 23, 2020, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to carriers for containing fragile items, and in particular to a reticle pod having a positioning member.

2. Description of the Related Art

Photolithography is an important process in the manufacturing of integrated circuits and any other semiconductor devices. In general, photolithography involves exposing selectively a wafer surface to a radiation source to form an etching surface layer, using a reticle with specific patterns. The reticle is usually a flat transparent quartz with patterns to be reproduced on the wafer surface. To meet strict requirements for surface cleanliness and miniaturization of essential components of modern integrated circuits, the operating surface of the reticle must be free of contaminants which damage the surfaces of the essential components of modern integrated circuits during the processing process or distort images projected onto photoresist layers to the detriment of the quality of end products.

In general, the reticle is stored (and/or transported while being contained) in a microclean room environment maintained in a case or container which not only has a lid and a base but also conforms with the Standard Mechanical Interface Format (SMIF). The lid and the base match and thus together form a reticle pod which provides an airtight hermetic seal required for the reticle.

During an extreme ultraviolet photolithography process, the reticle pod opens and shuts by automation but is predisposed to errors in its alignment with its workstation. The alignment errors not only prevent the lid from shutting relative to the base quickly and precisely but also cause multiple collisions between the lid and base and abrasions thereto. As a result, not only does the reticle pod fail to protect the reticle therein, but particles undesirably generated because of friction also contaminate the reticle. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a device that assists with workstation positioning.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a reticle pod having a positioning member.

To achieve at least the above objective, the present disclosure provides a reticle pod having a positioning member, comprising: a base having a plurality of edges; a lid having a plurality of edges and adapted to shut relative to the base so as to form a substantially cuboid case, the case having a storing space for receiving a reticle; and a plurality of positioning members arranged in a shutting direction and disposed on at least two edges of the lid, respectively, the positioning members each comprising a connecting portion, a correcting portion and a guiding slope portion, the connecting portion being connected to the edges of the lid, wherein the correcting portion has an end connected to the connecting portion and extending in the shutting direction and an opposing end connected to the guiding slope portion, the guiding slope portion having a slope extending outward.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the positioning member further has at least one rib extending from an inner surface of the correcting portion to the storing space.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the positioning member further has at least one bump portion extending from an inner surface of the correcting portion to the storing space.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the positioning members are disposed at two ends of each edge of the lid, respectively.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the positioning member is a slender lateral plate.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the edges of the base each have an inner retracted segment corresponding in position to the positioning member.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the connecting portion has a screw hole.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the correcting portion and the guiding slope portion are elastomer.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the positioning member further has a clamping element disposed on an inner surface of the correcting portion and facing the storing space.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the reticle pod having a positioning member further comprises an outer case, the outer case comprising an outer case lid and an outer case base, wherein the outer case provides therein a placement space for holding the case when the outer case lid shuts relative to the outer case base.

The present disclosure further provides a reticle pod having a positioning member, comprising: a base having a plurality of edges; a lid having a plurality of edges and adapted to shut relative to the base so as to form a substantially cuboid case, the case having a storing space for receiving a reticle; and a plurality of positioning members arranged in a shutting direction and disposed on at least two edges of the base, respectively, the positioning members each comprising a connecting portion, a correcting portion and a guiding slope portion, the connecting portion being connected to the edges of the lid, wherein the correcting portion has an end connected to the connecting portion and extending in the shutting direction and an opposing end connected to the guiding slope portion, the guiding slope portion having a slope extending outward.

Therefore, the reticle pod having a positioning member according to the present disclosure is advantageous in that if the lid and the base have an alignment error in X-axis direction or Y-axis direction, the slope of the guiding slope portion comes into contact with the base, and the base moves along the slope and thus is guided to come into contact with the correcting portion, allowing the lid to shut relative to the base precisely and quickly with minimal contact therebetween. Once the lid finishes shutting relative to the base precisely, the positioning members will fix the base in place and prevent the base and lid from rotating relative to each other.

