Apparatus with surface protector to inhibit contamination

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for protecting a surface of interest from particle contamination, and particularly, during transitioning of the surface between atmospheric pressure and vacuum. The apparatus includes a chamber configured to receive the surface, and a protector plate configured to reside within the chamber with the surface, and inhibit particle contamination of the surface. A support mechanism is also provided suspending the protector plate away from an inner surface of the chamber. The support mechanism holds the protector plate within the chamber in spaced, opposing relation to the surface to provide a gap between the protector plate and the surface which presents a diffusion barrier to particle migration into the gap and onto the surface, thereby inhibiting particle contamination of the surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a surface to be protected;   a chamber configured to receive the surface to be protected;   a protector plate distinct from the chamber and designed to be affixed within the chamber independent of the surface to be protected; and   a support mechanism affixing the protector plate to and suspending the protector plate within the chamber in spaced, opposing relation to the surface to be protected without contacting the surface to be protected, and with the gap between the protector plate and the surface that presents a diffusion barrier to particle migration into the gap and onto the surface between the protector plate and the surface due, at least in part, to physical proximity of the protector plate to the surface to be protected, thereby inhibiting particle contamination of the surface, the surface to be protected being insertable or removable from the chamber independent of the protector plate.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the support mechanism comprises a holding mechanism for holding the protector plate away from an inner surface of the chamber to which the holding mechanism attaches. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the holding mechanism is adjustable to dynamically tailor the gap between the protector plate and the surface to a critical distance which presents the diffusion barrier to particle migration into the gap and onto the surface. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the support mechanism affixes the protector plate in an upper portion of the chamber, and the surface to be protected is received into the chamber below the protector plate. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the chamber is a transfer chamber which facilitates transitioning of the surface between atmospheric pressure and vacuum, and the protector plate inhibits particle contamination of the surface during transitioning between atmospheric pressure and vacuum, and wherein the surface is a surface of a process structure, the process structure comprising one of a reticle, a mask, a mask blank, a wafer, a substrate, or a plate. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the transfer chamber comprises a first gate and a second gate on opposite sides of the transfer chamber, the first gate facilitating insertion of the surface into the transfer chamber at atmospheric pressure, and the second gate facilitating removal of the surface from the transfer chamber at vacuum, and wherein the protector plate comprises a larger surface area than the surface to be protected, extending beyond a periphery of the surface. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the protector plate is part of a protector frame that is open at a first end adjacent to the first gate to facilitate slidable insertion of the surface into opposing relation with the protector plate within the transfer chamber through the first gate, and open at a second end adjacent to the second gate to facilitate slidable removal of the surface from opposing relation with the protector plate through the second gate. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising a first light source providing light adjacent to the first gate and a second light source providing light adjacent to the second gate, the first light source and the second light source each providing light of an ultraviolet wavelength and facilitating cleaning of organic contaminant from the surface during insertion of the surface through the first gate into opposing relation with the protector plate, and removal of the surface from opposing relation with the protector plate through the second gate. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the protector plate is part of a protector frame, the protector frame comprising a first protector side wall and a second protector side wall depending from opposite sides of the protector plate, the first protector side wall and second protector side wall being sized and configured to facilitate inhibiting particle contamination of the surface with the surface disposed in opposing relation to the protector plate to provide the gap between the protector plate and the surface. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a heat source associated with the protector plate, the heat source heating the protector plate to prevent condensation on the surface, and employing thermophoretic forces in preventing particle contamination of the surface. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a cold source associated with the protector plate, the cold source cooling the protector plate to provide a trap for humidity within the chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a light source associated with the protector plate and impinging light of an ultraviolet wavelength on the surface to inhibit organic particle contamination of the surface. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus comprising:
 a surface to be protected;   a protector frame configured to receive the surface to be protected, the protector frame comprising an open-ended frame structure having a first open end and a second open end at opposite sides of the protector frame to facilitate insertion of the surface within or removal of the surface from the protector frame, and the protector frame comprising:
 a protector plate configured to inhibit particle contamination of the surface with the surface disposed within the protector frame; and 
 at least one first support at a first side of the protector frame, and at least once second support at a second side of the protector frame, the first side and the second side being opposite sides of the protector frame, wherein the at least one first support and the at least one second support support the surface within the protector frame with the surface in spaced, opposing relation to the protector plate, and provide a gap between the protector plate and the surface that presents a diffusion barrier to particle migration into the gap and onto the surface due, at least in part, to physical proximity of the protector plate to the surface to be protected, thereby inhibiting particle contamination of the surface. 
   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a chamber configured to receive the protector frame and the surface to be protected, the chamber being a transfer chamber facilitating transitioning of the surface between atmospheric pressure and vacuum, and the protector plate inhibiting particle contamination of the surface during transitioning between atmospheric pressure and vacuum, wherein the surface comprises a surface of a process structure, the process structure comprising one of a reticle, a mask, a mask blank, a wafer, a substrate, or a plate. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the surface is insertable within the protector frame in the chamber, and removable from the chamber with the protector frame. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the surface is a first side of the process structure, and wherein the process structure further comprises a support surface at a second side, the first side and the second side being opposite sides of the process structure, and wherein the support surface of the process structure rests on the at least one first support and the at least one second support with the surface within the protector frame in spaced, opposing relation to the protector plate. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the protector frame is configured to facilitate insertion of at least one of the protector frame or the surface into the chamber at atmospheric pressure employing a first end-effector, and to facilitate removal of at least one of the protector frame or the surface from the chamber at vacuum employing a second end-effector.