TWI859464B - Mask container - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a photomask container that can firmly hold a photomask substrate, can suppress condensation in a photomask substrate storage portion, has excellent cleanliness, is not easy to cause dirt (fine particles) to adhere to the surface of the photomask substrate, is lightweight and has excellent mechanical strength. The photomask container of the present invention is characterized in that: the photomask substrate storage portion is formed by a container body and a cover, and the photomask substrate is stored and transported in a state where the photomask substrate is stored in the photomask substrate storage portion. The container body is a box-shaped body comprising a high-density polyethylene resin with a melt flow rate (MFR) of less than 0.6 (g/10 minutes), and comprises a roughly flat base, and a side wall portion arranged at a roughly right angle from the end of the base, and is a two-layer hollow structure comprising an inner wall and an outer wall.

Description

Mask container

The present invention relates to a photomask container for storing and transporting photomask substrates.

In recent years, in order to manufacture display devices such as liquid crystal display panels, photomask substrates are manufactured in factories with clean rooms, and the manufactured photomask substrates are transported to factories for subsequent steps to manufacture display devices such as liquid crystal display panels.

LCD panels and other display devices are precision machines. When transporting the mask substrate, dirt (fine particles) may be attached to the substrate surface, or the substrate circuit or the substrate itself may be damaged due to electrical damage, making it impossible to manufacture the display device.

In order to enlarge the screen of display devices such as liquid crystal display panels, or to expose multiple display devices at the same time to improve productivity and save labor, the size of the photomask substrate is required to be larger (larger in area), and it needs to be larger than 750×750mm. In addition, due to the influence of globalization, the manufacturing of the photomask substrate to the manufacturing of finished products such as liquid crystal display panels is not only carried out in one factory, but also in remote areas inside and outside Japan. Therefore, the photomask substrate is stored in a photomask container and transported by trucks, ships, airplanes, etc.

Therefore, it is expected that the above-mentioned photomask container can firmly hold the photomask substrate, can be transported without causing dirt (fine particles) to adhere to the surface of the photomask substrate or without causing damage to the photomask substrate, and is lightweight and has excellent mechanical strength. In addition, when transporting by airplane, since it is transported under reduced pressure or low temperature, it is expected that: unnecessary stress will not be added to the photomask substrate or the photomask container; condensation can be suppressed in the photomask substrate storage part of the photomask container; the cleanliness is excellent; etc.

Therefore, various photomask containers suitable for transportation have been proposed. For example, "A photomask box, characterized in that it is used for transportation while storing a photomask substrate, and has: a holding mechanism that holds the above-mentioned photomask substrate; a base for setting the holding mechanism; and a cover that is easily installed on the base and covers the above-mentioned photomask substrate" (for example, refer to patent document 1); "A sealed container for large precision sheet-like (semi-)finished products, characterized in that it includes a sealing member that is to be abutted against each other. A container having a main body and a lid with a substantially symmetrical structure with a sealed periphery, and used for accommodating a large precision sheet-shaped finished product or semi-finished product (hereinafter collectively referred to as "precision sheet-shaped (semi-)finished product") inside, wherein the main body and the lid respectively include a plurality of antistatic resin plates extending flatly to each other and joined to each other at a middle abutment portion, and having a structure in which a metal reinforcing belt is bolted to the joined resin plates from the outside along the joint in a sealing manner; at the bottom of the main body, there is a structure in which a metal reinforcing belt is bolted to the joined resin plates from the outside in a sealing manner; A fixed support structure is provided for fixing and supporting the precision sheet (semi) finished product in mutually orthogonal X, Y and Z directions (i.e., the longitudinal, transverse and thickness directions of the precision sheet (semi) finished product); the fixed support structure comprises at least one set of supporting parts and a fixed support, the supporting part is used to carry the precision sheet (semi) finished product thereon, and the fixed support applies a pressing force in at least the thickness direction to the edge of the precision sheet (semi) finished product carried on the supporting part; The fixed support has a foot fixed to the bottom of the main body and a movable part rotatably supported on the foot. The movable part can rotate between an inverted position and an inverted open position. In the inverted position, a pressing force is applied to the end edge of the precision sheet (semi-)finished product placed on the support at least along its thickness direction to fix and support it. In the inverted open position, the precision sheet (semi-)finished product can be placed on the support" (for example, refer to patent document 2).

However, the above-mentioned photomask container has the following disadvantages: there are many parts, and the manufacturing of each part requires time-consuming work, so the improvement of production efficiency is limited, or a lot of time is required to maintain quality stability, and the weight is large and difficult to transport.

[Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-32915

[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent No. 4476727

In view of the above problems, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a photomask container that is lightweight and has excellent mechanical strength, can firmly hold the photomask substrate, can suppress condensation in the photomask substrate storage part, has excellent cleanliness, is not easy to make dirt (fine particles) adhere to the surface of the photomask substrate, can be safely and easily transported, is easy to manufacture, has high production efficiency and quality stability, and is low in price.

That is, the present invention relates to: [1] a photomask container, characterized in that: a photomask substrate storage portion is formed by a container body and a cover, and the photomask substrate is stored and transported in a state where the photomask substrate is stored in the photomask substrate storage portion, and the container body is a box-shaped body comprising a generally flat base and a side wall portion provided in a generally right angle direction from the end of the base, and is a two-layer hollow structure comprising an inner wall and an outer wall; [2] as described above [1] The photomask container described in the above, characterized in that: the container body is integrally formed by blow molding; [3] The photomask container described in the above [1] or [2], characterized in that: a photomask substrate holding portion for holding and fixing the photomask substrate is formed on the base; [4] The photomask container described in any one of the above [1] to [3], characterized in that: the side wall portion has a hollow portion and is thicker than the base; [5] The photomask container described in any one of the above [1] to [4], characterized in that: the inner wall and/or the side wall of the base The inner wall of the wall portion is deformed toward the side (upper or inner side) of the photomask substrate storage portion to integrally form a photomask substrate holding portion having a hollow portion; [6] As described in any one of the above [1] to [5], the photomask container is characterized in that: the cover body is a box-shaped body comprising a high-density polyethylene resin with a melt flow rate (MFR) of less than 0.6 (g/10 minutes), and comprises a substantially flat base, and a side wall portion provided at a substantially right angle from the end of the base, and is a two-layer hollow structure comprising an inner wall and an outer wall; [7] As described in the above [1] The photomask container as described in any one of [1] to [6] is characterized in that: the upper end of the side wall of at least one of the container body and the cover is extended laterally to form a handle; [8] The photomask container as described in any one of [1] to [7] is characterized in that: a through hole is formed in at least one of the container body and the cover, and a filter is provided in the through hole to form an exhaust part; [9] The photomask container as described in any one of [1] to [8] is characterized in that: a plurality of ribs are formed on the base; [10] A photomask container as described in any one of technical solutions 1 to 9, characterized in that: the surface intrinsic resistance value is greater than 10 ⁸ Ω and less than 10 ¹⁰ Ω; and [11] A photomask container as described in any one of the above [1] to [10], characterized in that: an antistatic sheet or an antistatic molded body is layered on the inner wall of the base (the side of the photomask substrate storage portion).

The structure of the photomask container of the present invention is as described above. The photomask container is easy to manufacture, inexpensive, lightweight and has excellent mechanical strength. It can firmly hold the photomask substrate and can be stored and transported without causing dirt (fine particles) to adhere to the surface of the photomask substrate or without causing the photomask substrate to deform. Therefore, even if it is stored and transported under reduced pressure or at low temperature, the photomask substrate or the photomask container will not bear unnecessary stress, and the condensation of the photomask substrate storage part of the photomask container can be suppressed. The cleanliness is excellent, so it is suitable for air transportation by airplane.

1: Container body

2: Cover

3: Photomask substrate storage unit

4: Photomask substrate support and fixing part

5: Handle

6: Photomask substrate

7: Exhaust section

8: Window section

9: O-ring

11: Base

12: Side wall

13: Ribs

14: Notch concave part

41: Bolts

42: Gasket

43: Embedded nut

44: Photomask substrate mounting unit

45: Horizontal positioning part

71:Through hole

72: Class difference section

73:Filter

74: Fixtures

111: Inner wall

112: Outer wall

113: Hollow part

FIG1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a photomask container of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view showing an example of the container body of the photomask container of the present invention.

Figure 3 is the A-A cross-sectional view in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 2.

FIG. 5 is a top view showing different examples of the container body of the photomask container of the present invention.

Figure 6 is the C-C cross-sectional view in Figure 5.

The characteristics of the photomask container of the present invention are: a photomask substrate storage part is formed by a container body and a cover, and the photomask substrate is stored and transported in a state in which the photomask substrate is stored, and the container body is a box-shaped body including a substantially flat base and a side wall portion provided along a substantially right angle direction from the end of the base, and is a two-layer hollow structure including an inner wall and an outer wall.

The container body is formed in one piece by blow molding, preferably with high mechanical strength so as not to be easily deformed or damaged during transportation or storage, and therefore comprises high-density polyethylene resin. High-density polyethylene resin is a polyethylene resin with a density of 0.945-0.965 g/ ^cm3 polymerized by medium-low pressure method, and can be copolymerized with trace amounts of α-olefins such as propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, 1-hexene, and 1-octene.

Regarding the above-mentioned high-density polyethylene resin, the one with a smaller melt flow rate (MFR) has excellent film formability, is particularly suitable for blow molding, and has excellent mechanical strength, so the melt flow rate (MFR) is 0.6 (g/10 minutes) or less, preferably 0.2 (g/10 minutes) or less, and more preferably 0.01~0.1 (g/10 minutes). Furthermore, MFR is an indicator of the melt viscosity of thermoplastic resins specified in JIS K 7210.

In addition, regarding the weight average molecular weight of the high-density polyethylene resin, when the weight average molecular weight is less than 100,000, the mechanical strength or creep resistance is reduced. On the contrary, if it exceeds 500,000, the melt viscosity increases, the hot melt formability decreases, and it is difficult to obtain a uniform container body. Therefore, it is preferably 100,000 to 500,000. Furthermore, in the present invention, the weight average molecular weight is a value measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC).

In the above-mentioned high-density polyethylene resin, a small amount of medium-density polyethylene resin, low-density polyethylene resin, linear low-density polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, ethylene-propylene copolymer, ethylene-1-butene copolymer, ethylene-1-pentene copolymer, ethylene-1-hexene copolymer, ethylene-1-octene copolymer, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene-(meth)acrylate copolymer, ethylene-vinyl chloride copolymer, ethylene-propylene-butene copolymer and other olefin resins can be added within the range that the physical properties such as mechanical strength are not reduced.

In addition, heat stabilizers, heat resistance enhancers, light stabilizers, ultraviolet absorbers, antioxidants, antistatic agents, impact modifiers, antifogging agents, flame retardants, colorants, etc. may be added to the above-mentioned high-density polyethylene resin as needed.

The container body is made of high-density polyethylene resin, so it is easy to be charged and easy to absorb dirt (fine particles). Therefore, the surface of the photomask substrate is easy to be attached with dirt (fine particles) and easy to be contaminated, so it is preferably added with an antistatic agent, and its surface intrinsic resistance is preferably greater than 10 ⁸ Ω and less than 10 ¹⁰ Ω.

Examples of antistatic agents include glycerol fatty acid ester-based surfactants, organic boron-based antistatic agents, and other antistatic agents that have been used in plastic processing, and carbon black.

As the above-mentioned antistatic agent, an organic boron antistatic agent is preferred. As an organic boron antistatic agent, for example, a donor-acceptor system molecular compound type antistatic agent represented by general formula (1) can be cited.

[Chemistry 1]

In the formula, R ¹ and R ² are each independently an acyl group having 12 to 22 carbon atoms or H, and at least one of R ¹ and R ² is an acyl group having 12 to 22 carbon atoms, R ³ , R ⁴ and R ⁵ are each independently CH ₃ , C ₂ H ₅ , CH ₂ OH, C ₂ H ₄ OH, CH ₂ CH(CH ₃ )OH, an alkyl group or alkenyl group having 12 to 22 carbon atoms, an acyloxyalkyl group having a total carbon number of 13 to 25, or an amidoalkyl group having a total carbon number of 14 to 25, and at least one of R ³ , R ⁴ and R ⁵ is an alkyl group or alkenyl group having 12 to 22 carbon atoms, an acyloxyalkyl group having a total carbon number of 13 to 25, or an amidoalkyl group having a total carbon number of 14 to 25.

As a specific example of the antistatic agent represented by the general formula (1), it is represented by the following chemical formulas (2) to (12).

[Chemistry 3]

[Chemistry 7]

[Chemistry 11]

The donor-acceptor system molecular compound type antistatic agent represented by the above general formula (1) can be adsorbed on the surface of the inorganic filler powder to prepare a powdered antistatic agent. As the inorganic filler powder, it can be any inorganic filler powder used in the past plastic moldings without any special limitation, for example: calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, titanium oxide, magnesium hydroxide, talc, mica, clay, etc.

In addition, the method for producing the inorganic filler powder with the antistatic agent adsorbed on the surface is not particularly limited. For example, the following method can be cited: supplying the inorganic filler powder to the organic solvent in which the antistatic agent is dissolved, stirring and mixing, allowing the antistatic agent to be adsorbed on the surface of the inorganic filler powder, and then evaporating the organic solvent.

As the above-mentioned organic solvent, there is no particular limitation as long as it is an organic solvent that can dissolve the above-mentioned antistatic agent. For example, it can be: lower alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, etc. ; ketones such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, etc.; esters such as ethyl acetate, isopropyl acetate, etc.; tetrahydrofuran, etc.

Relative to 100 parts by weight of high-density polyethylene resin, the amount of the donor-acceptor system molecular compound type antistatic agent represented by the above general formula (1) is generally preferably 0.01~1.0 parts by weight.

Next, the photomask container of the present invention is described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the photomask container of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a container body, and 2 is a cover body. The container body 1 and the cover body 2 are both box-shaped bodies, and a photomask substrate storage portion 3 is formed by covering the cover body 2 on the container body 1. 4, 4... are photomask substrate support and fixing portions, which are formed on the sides of the photomask substrate storage portion 3 of the container body 1 and the cover body 2, and are formed in a manner that when the cover body 2 covers the container body 1, the photomask substrate support and fixing portion 4 of the container body 1 and the photomask substrate support and fixing portion 4 of the cover body 2 are opposite to each other. Furthermore, 5 is a handle portion.

In order to store and fix the photomask substrate 6 in the above-mentioned photomask container, for example, the container body 1 with the cover 2 removed is placed horizontally, and the photomask substrate 6 is placed on the photomask substrate support and fixing portion 4 of the container body 1. Then, the cover 2 is placed in a manner to form the photomask substrate storage portion 3, and the photomask substrate 6 is clamped and fixed by the photomask substrate support and fixing portion 4 of the container body 1 and the photomask substrate support and fixing portion 4 of the cover 2. Finally, it is bundled and fixed using a belt-shaped body such as a synthetic resin belt-shaped body or a metal belt-shaped body, or fixed using a fixing fixture such as a buckle or a ratchet buckle.

When transporting the mask container 1 containing the above-mentioned mask substrate 6, it can be directly transported in a horizontal position, or casters can be installed on the mask container 1 and the mask substrate 6 can be transported in a vertical position with the casters at the bottom.

FIG. 2 is a top view showing an example of a container body 1 of the photomask container of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an A-A cross-sectional view in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a B-B cross-sectional view in FIG. 2. In the figure, 1 is a container body, which is a box-shaped body including a substantially flat base 11 and a side wall 12 provided along a substantially right angle direction from the end of the base 11. The base 11 includes an inner wall 111 and an outer wall 112, and is a two-layer hollow structure in which a rib 13 is provided by partially forming a hollow portion 113 therebetween. Furthermore, the base 11 may also be a two-layer structure in which the inner wall 111 and the outer wall 112 are in close contact.

In addition, the side wall portion 12 includes an inner wall 111 and an outer wall 112, and is a two-layer hollow structure with a hollow portion 113 formed therebetween. For the purpose of lightness and reinforcement, the thickness is thicker than the base portion.

Furthermore, 5, 5...are handles for inserting fingers to move the photomask container, and a plurality of handles are formed at the upper end of the side wall 12. The handle 5 is formed by providing a through hole at the side edge extending laterally from the upper end of the side wall 12.

In the figure, 4, 4... are solid columnar photomask substrate support and fixing parts made of olefin resin, ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) resin, etc. for mounting and supporting the photomask substrate, which are fixed to the photomask substrate storage part 3 side of the base 11 by bolts 41.

Furthermore, 42 is a washer interposed between the bolt 41 and the base 11 to tightly fix the two, and 43 is an embedded nut fixed to the lower inner part of the photomask substrate support and fixing part 4 and screwed with the bolt 41 to fix the base 11 and the photomask substrate storage part 3. The above-mentioned photomask substrate support and fixing part 4 can also be used in conjunction with any previously known supporting holding mechanism, positioning holding mechanism (for example, refer to patent documents 1 and 2).

In the figure, 7 is an exhaust part used to connect the inside and outside of the photomask substrate storage part 3 so that the gas inside and outside can move and keep the temperature, humidity, pressure, etc. inside and outside the same. The exhaust part 7 is provided with a through hole 71 in a manner of forming a step part 72 on the inner wall 111 and the outer wall 112 of the base 11, and a filter 73 is stacked on the step part 72 in a manner of blocking the through hole 71. The filter 73 is fixed to the base 11 by a ring-shaped fixture 74.

By forming the exhaust portion 7, the inside and outside gases of the photomask substrate storage portion 3 are connected, and there is no difference in air pressure, humidity and temperature between the inside and outside of the photomask substrate storage portion 3, which can prevent the mask container from being deformed or damaged due to air pressure difference or condensation from occurring in the photomask substrate storage portion 3 due to temperature difference when transported by airplane.

In the figure, 8 is a window for inspecting the inside of the photomask substrate storage part 3 to observe the stored photomask substrate 6. The window part 8 is formed by drilling a through hole in the base 11 and embedding a transparent resin plate such as polycarbonate resin, ABS resin, or a glass plate.

烯系橡膠等彈性樹脂。 In the figure, 9 is an O-ring used to firmly seal the photomask substrate storage part 3 when the cover 2 is covered on the container body 1 to form the photomask substrate storage part 3. The O-ring 9 is embedded in a groove formed on the upper surface of the side wall part 12 of the container body 1. The O-ring 9 is preferably made of silicone rubber, fluoro rubber, urethane rubber, or decompression rubber.

Elastic resins such as olefin rubber.

In the figure, 13, 13... are ribs provided on the base 11 to reinforce the container body 1. The rib 13 is formed by providing a hollow portion 113 between the inner wall 111 and the outer wall 112. Furthermore, the rib 13 can be formed by bending the inner wall 111 and/or the outer wall 112 to form the hollow portion 113 or without forming the hollow portion 113. In addition, the rib 13 is preferably provided in multiple strips, and can also be provided on the side wall portion 12.

In the figure, 14, 14... are notches provided near the upper end of the side wall 12 for setting a fixing fixture (such as a buckle, a ratchet buckle, etc.). The fixing fixture is used to seal and fix the photomask container that covers the cover 2 on the container body 1 to form a photomask substrate storage portion. When the photomask container is sealed and fixed, it can be bundled by a rope-like body or a belt-like body made of synthetic resin or metal.

FIG. 5 is a top view showing different examples of the container body of the photomask container of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a C-C cross-sectional view in FIG. 5. 1 is a container body, which is integrally formed by blow molding and includes a substantially flat base 11 and a box-shaped body with a side wall 12 provided along a substantially right angle from the end of the base 11, and the base 11 and the side wall 12 are partially hollow two-layered hollow structures including an inner wall 111 and an outer wall 112.

In the figure, 12 is a side wall portion provided along a substantially right angle direction from the end of the base portion 11. The side wall portion 12 is a hollow two-layer structure body that uses an inner wall 111 and an outer wall 112 to form a hollow portion 113 inside. Since the side wall portion 12 is a hollow two-layer structure body, it is thicker than the base portion 11. A groove is formed on the upper surface of the side wall portion 12, and an O-ring 9 is embedded in the groove.

In the figure, 4, 4... are the photomask substrate support and fixing parts for placing and supporting the photomask substrate. The photomask substrate support and fixing part 4 deforms the inner wall 111 of the base 11 and/or the inner wall 111 of the side wall 12 toward the side (upper or inner side) of the photomask substrate storage part, and forms a hollow part 113 between the inner wall 111 and the outer wall 112 of the base 11 and the side wall 12, and is formed integrally with the base 11 and the side wall 12.

The photomask substrate support and fixing part 4 forms a step portion with a lower inner side through the hollow part 113. The inner side of the step portion is lower, and the upper surface of the lower step portion becomes the photomask substrate mounting portion 44, and the higher side surface of the step portion becomes the lateral positioning portion 45. That is, the end of the photomask substrate to be stored and transported is placed on the photomask substrate mounting portion 44, 44..., and is positioned and firmly fixed by the lateral positioning portions 45, 45...

The container body 1 is preferably formed by blow molding. The so-called blow molding method is a method of extruding a thermoplastic resin in a molten state to form a cylindrical parison, then supplying the obtained parison to a forming mold, blowing gas into the parison and locking the forming mold to form a shape.

By using the blow molding method, a large container body 1 can be easily formed in one piece. The obtained container body 1 is a two-layer structure of an inner wall and an outer wall, partially has a hollow part, and is seamlessly formed in one piece. It is lightweight and has excellent mechanical strength.

The cover body 2 is not particularly limited as long as it functions as a cover of the container body 1. However, if the cover body 2 is the same shape as the container body 1, as shown in FIG1, the photomask substrate 6 can be easily stored and held in the photomask substrate storage portion 3, which is preferred. That is, the cover body is preferably a box-shaped body including a high-density polyethylene resin with a melt flow rate (MFR) of 0.6 (g/10 minutes) or less, and including a roughly flat base and a side wall portion vertically arranged from the end of the base, and is a two-layer structure including an inner wall and an outer wall.

In addition, in order to prevent the photomask substrate storage part from being charged, antistatic sheets, antistatic molded bodies, etc. can be layered on the inner wall of the base (the side of the photomask substrate storage part), or antistatic coatings can be applied or layered.

[Industrial availability]

The photomask container of the present invention is lightweight and has excellent mechanical strength. It can firmly hold the photomask substrate and can be transported without causing dirt (fine particles) to adhere to the surface of the photomask substrate or without causing the photomask substrate to deform. Even when transported under reduced pressure or low temperature, the photomask substrate or the photomask container will not bear unnecessary stress. It can suppress condensation in the photomask substrate storage part of the photomask container and has excellent cleanliness, so it is suitable for air transportation by airplane. Therefore, it is suitable for use as a photomask container for storing and transporting masks.

Claims (11)

A photomask container, characterized in that: a photomask substrate storage portion is formed by a container body and a cover, and the photomask substrate is stored and transported in a state in which the photomask substrate is stored in the photomask substrate storage portion. The container body is a box-shaped body comprising a substantially flat base and a side wall portion provided along a substantially right angle from the end of the base, and is a two-layer hollow structure comprising an inner wall and an outer wall. As in claim 1, the photomask container, wherein the container body is integrally formed by blow molding. A mask container as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a mask substrate holding portion for holding and fixing the mask substrate is formed on the base. As in claim 1 or 2, the photomask container, wherein the side wall has a hollow portion and is thicker than the base. As in claim 1 or 2, the inner wall of the base and/or the inner wall of the side wall is deformed toward the side (upper or inner side) of the photomask substrate storage portion to integrally form a photomask substrate holding portion having a hollow portion. As in claim 1 or 2, the cover is a box-shaped body comprising a high-density polyethylene resin having a melt flow rate (MFR) of 0.6 (g/10 minutes) or less, and comprising a substantially flat base and a side wall portion provided at a substantially right angle from the end of the base, and is a two-layer hollow structure comprising an inner wall and an outer wall. As in claim 1 or 2, the upper end of the side wall of at least one of the container body and the cover is extended laterally to form a handle. As in claim 1 or 2, a photomask container is provided with a through hole in at least one of the container body and the cover, and a filter is provided in the through hole, thereby forming an exhaust portion. A photomask container as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of ribs are formed on the base. For the photomask container of claim 1 or 2, its surface intrinsic resistance is greater than 10 ⁸ Ω and less than 10 ¹⁰ Ω. As in claim 1 or 2, the photomask container has an antistatic sheet or an antistatic molded body layered on the inner wall of the base (photomask substrate storage side).