Patent ID: 11921431
Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A method comprising:
placing a mask pod including a photolithography mask adjacent to a mask inspection tool;
removing the mask from inside the mask pod;
providing the removed mask to the mask inspection tool for inspection during a selected period of time;
inspecting the mask pod at the-a mask pod inspection tool within the selected period of time;
determining whether the mask pod requires a swap with a new mask pod or not within the selected period of time;
in response to determining that the mask pod requires a swap with a new mask pod, swapping the mask pod with the new mask pod before the selected period of time lapses;
removing the mask from the mask inspection tool and placing the mask inside the new mask pod.