Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
PHOTOMASK CLEANING TOOL

Abstract:

A photomask cleaning tool includes various components to automatically remove a particle from a pellicle, such as a multi-jet nozzle to standardize and control the use of a gas to remove the particle, an ultrasonic probe to loosen the particle from the surface of the pellicle, a plurality of multi-jet nozzles to direct gas toward the particle from different directions, a control system to control the automated blower for various sizes and shapes of photomasks and for optimized particle removal techniques, and/or the like. In this way, the photomask cleaning tool is capable of removing a particle from a pellicle of a photomask in a manner that increases the effectiveness of removing the particle and reduces the likelihood of damage to the pellicle, which would otherwise result in expensive and time-consuming photomask rework.