Abstract: The present invention supports a reticle 12 in a safe and secure manner. A reticle-carrying container 11 includes a pod 13 for storing the reticle 12, a door 14 and a seal 15 for blocking and sealing hermetically the pod 13. A pair of reticle retainers 25 and 45 is provided on the insides of the pod 13 and door 14. Each of the reticle retainers 25 and 45 includes an inclined plane 28 that contacts an upper corner 12A or a lower corner 12B of peripheral edge of the reticle 12 and supports the reticle 12 elastically. The inside of the inclined plane 28 is provided with concave portions 31 and 52 that enables a shock-absorbing function of allowing the deformation of the inclined plane 28 and supporting the reticle elastically, at the time of contact with the upper corner 12A or the lower corner 12B of peripheral edge of the reticle 12.

Abstract: The present invention allows a reticle-carrying container 11 to be fastened in a reticle stocker 2 even if the reticle-carrying container 11 is wrongly oriented. The reticle-carrying container 11 includes an interior with an opening at one end for storing a reticle 12, a door 14 for covering and blocking the opening, and a seal material 15 for sealing the interior hermetically when the door 14 closes the pod 13. The reticle-carrying container 11 is provided with two sets of kinematic pin grooves 61 for positioning and fastening the reticle-carrying container 11, which are turned 180 degrees from each other on the outer surface of the door 14. Receiving parts 22 for receiving and holding the kinematic pin grooves 61 are arranged in the positions corresponding to the kinematic pin grooves 61 on the outer surface of the pod 13 so that the two sets of kinematic pin grooves 61 can be engaged with the pins in both orientations.

Abstract: A reticle-processing system includes a reticle-carrying container, a transfer rail for transferring the reticle-carrying container, a light exposure apparatus for printing a circuit pattern, and a reticle stocker for keeping a plurality of reticles. Orientation changer detects the orientation of the reticle-carrying container and changes it appropriately and is located in a path from the reticle stocker to a printing position in the light exposure apparatus. The orientation changer includes a rotary drive for rotating the reticle-carrying container, an orientation detector 83 for detecting the orientation of the reticle-carrying container, which is provided in the path from the reticle stocker to the printing position in the light exposure apparatus, and a controller for, when the orientation detected by the orientation detector is shifted by 180 degrees, controlling the rotary drive so as to correct the orientation.

Abstract: The present invention corrects automatically the wrong orientation of a reticle-carrying container 11. The present invention includes a reticle-processing system having the reticle-carrying container 11, transfer means (4, 5) for transferring the reticle-carrying container 11, a light exposure apparatus for printing a circuit pattern, and a reticle stocker 2 for keeping a plurality of reticles 12. The present invention also includes orientation change means 81 for detecting the orientation of the reticle-carrying container 11 and changing it appropriately in a path from the reticle stocker 2 to a printing position in the light exposure apparatus 1.

Abstract: The present invention allows a reticle-carrying container 11 to be fastened in a reticle stocker 2 even if the reticle-carrying container 11 is wrongly oriented. The reticle-carrying container 11 includes an interior with an opening at one end for storing a reticle 12, a door 14 for covering and blocking the opening, and a seal material 15 for sealing the interior hermetically when the door 14 blocks the pod 13. The reticle-carrying container 11 is provided with two pairs of kinematic pin grooves 61 for positioning and fastening the reticle-carrying container 11, which are formed with a 180-degree turn from each other on the outer surface of the door 14. Receiving parts 22 for receiving and holding the kinematic pin grooves 61 are arranged in the positions corresponding to the kinematic pin grooves 61 on the outer surface of the pod 13 so that the two pairs of kinematic pin grooves 61 can be engaged with the pins in the both orientations.

Abstract: The present invention supports a reticle 12 in a safe and secure manner. A reticle-carrying container 11 includes a pod 13 for storing the reticle 12, a door 14 and a seal 15 for blocking and sealing hermetically the pod 13. A pair of retile retainers 25 and 45 is provided on the insides of the pod 13 and door 14. Each of the reticle retainers 25 and 45 includes an inclined plane 28 that contacts an upper corner 12A or a lower corner 12B of peripheral edge of the reticle 12 and supports the reticle 12 elastically. The inside of the inclined plane 28 is provided with concave portions 31 and 52 that enables a shock-absorbing function of allowing the deformation of the inclined plane 28 and supporting the reticle elastically, at the time of contact with the upper corner 12A or the lower corner 12B of peripheral edge of the reticle 12.