Holder for accommodating one side of photomask or photomask with pellicle and protecting from cleaning medium, method for cleaning photomask or photomask with pellicle, and apparatus for opening and closing the holder

摘要

Disclosed are a holder for housing one side of a photomask or a photomask with a pellicle to protect it from a cleaning medium, a method for cleaning such a photomask, and an apparatus for opening and closing the holder. The holder includes a base having at least three support elements, a seal frame having an upper surface and a lower surface, and an outer peripheral elastic seal element disposed on the seal frame, wherein the at least three support elements are provided on the base. Configured to receive and hold the photomask or the photomask with a pellicle at a distance from a bottom surface, wherein the lower surface of the seal frame is placed on the base, and the seal frame includes the seal frame. A central opening dimensioned to accommodate the photomask with a space between the frame and the photomask, wherein the outer peripheral elastic sealing element is adapted to extend from the inner periphery of the central opening to the center; The seal element extends obliquely into the opening toward the upper surface of the seal frame, and the seal element in an unloaded state includes: The has an inner periphery smaller than the outer periphery of the photomask, the sealing element of the load state, contacts the side surface of the photomask is accommodated in the central opening in the circumferential direction.