Abstract: A photoresist layer on a semiconductor wafer is patterned using a mask with an absorbing layer that has been repaired by using an additional light-absorbing carbon layer that collects ions that are used in the repair process. After the repair has been completed, the ions that are present in the carbon layer are removed by removing the portion of the carbon layer that is not covered by the absorbing layer. Thus, the absorbing layer, which contains the pattern that is to be exposed on the photoresist layer, also acts as a mask in the removal of the portion of the carbon layer that contains the ions. Thereby the ions that are opaque at the particular wavelength being used are removed from the areas where light is intended to pass through the mask to the photoresist. The buffer layer is made absorbing to avoid problems with reflections at interfaces thereof.

Abstract: A method of fabrication of a semiconductor integrated circuit device uses a mark having, on a first main surface of a mask substrate, a first light transmitting region, a second light transmitting region disposed at the periphery of the first light transmitting region and permitting inversion of the phase of light transmitted through the second light transmitting region relative to light transmitted through the first light transmitting region, and a light shielding region disposed at the periphery of the second light transmitting region. The second light transmitting region is formed from a first film deposited over the first main surface of the mask substrate, said light shielding region is formed by a second film deposited over the first main surface of the mask substrate via said first film, and at least one of said first film and second is formed from a resist film.

Abstract: A photo sensitive emulsion disclosed, comprising an organic silver salt, a photosensitive silver halide and a dispersing medium, wherein the organic silver salt is comprised of at least a first organic silver salt grains and a second organic silver salt grains which are different in average grain size from each other. A photothermographic material containing is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of forming color images comprises forming an original image and duplicating the formed original image on a color photosensitive material having blue-, green- and red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layers on a transmission or reflective support. The formed original image contains a dye formed from a cyan coupler represented by formula (CC-1): wherein Ga represents —CC(R13)? or —N?; Gb represents —C(R13)? when Ga represents —N?, or Gb represents —N? when Ga represents —C(R13)?; R11 and R12 represent an electron-withdrawing group having a Hammett substituent constant ?p value of 0.20 to 1.0; R13 represents a substituent; and Y represents a hydrogen atom or a group capable of splitting-off by a coupling reaction with an oxidized product of an aromatic primary amine color developing agent; and wherein the red-sensitive layer has the maximum sensitivity wavelength, ?max (D), of spectral sensitivity distribution at each density of 630 to 670 nm.

Abstract: A method for minimizing damage to a substrate while repairing a defect in a phase shifting mask for an integrated circuit comprising locating a bump defect in a phase shifting mask, depositing a first layer of protective coating to an upper surface of the bump defect, depositing a second layer of protective coating to areas of the phase shifting mask adjacent the bump defect, etching the first layer of protective coating and removing the bump defect.

Abstract: In one exemplary embodiment, a resolution enhancement phase shift mask comprises a transparent substrate having a first clear region, a second clear region and a third clear region. An opaque film, such as chrome, is situated over at least a portion of the transparent substrate to define an opaque region. The transparent substrate can be formed of quartz or calcium fluoride, for example. The second and third clear regions have equal thicknesses. However, the first clear region has a thickness different from each of the second and third clear regions. The difference in thickness between the first clear region and the second and third clear regions is calculated to cause a 180 degree phase shift in light passing through the first clear region relative to a phase of light passing through each of the second and third clear regions.

Abstract: Disclosed is a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material having one or more layers including a light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer on a support, wherein any of the layers contains the specific fluorine compound. The silver halide photographic light-sensitive material can be stably produced and is imparted with antistatic property.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a photomask equipped with a dust-proofing device which has high ultraviolet transmittance in a short wavelength region and high light resistance and is free from the necessity of the substitution with inert gas and also to, provide an exposure method using this photomask. The photomask equipped with a dust-proofing device is produced by overlapping a ultraviolet ray-transmittable transparent substrate on the side of the light-shading film pattern surface of the photomask to apply the photomask to the transparent substrate tightly by exhausting and removing the air present between the photomask and the transparent substrate.

Abstract: A silver halide color photosensitive material comprises at least one light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer and at least one nonlight-sensitive layer. At least one of the nonlight-sensitive layers contains colloidal silver. The colloidal silver-containing nonlight-sensitive layer or a nonlight-sensitive layer adjacent to the colloidal silver-containing nonlight-sensitive layer contains a compound capable of releasing a development inhibitor or a precursor thereof by a coupling reaction with an oxidized developing agent. At least one layer selected from the group consisting of the light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer and the nonlight-sensitive layer contains a compound (B), which is a compound having at least three hetero atoms and capable of enhancing the photographic speed of the photosensitive material in comparison to the same photosensitive materials without the compound.

Abstract: A silver halide color photographic material is disclosed, comprising on a support a silver halide emulsion layer comprising an yellow dye forming coupler represented by formula (I): A—B??formula (I) wherein A is represented by formula (Ia), (Ia?), (Ia?), (Ib), (Ic), (Id), (Id?), (Ie), (Ie?), (Ie?), (If) or (If?); and B is represented by formula (II) described in the specification.

Abstract: Method and structure for masking are disclosed. In one embodiment, a thin layer of radiation sensitive material is combined with another layer of radiation opaque material with different etch selectivity to facilitate a multi-stage patterning treatment of an underlying mask layer and a resultant critical dimension in the patterned mask which may be less than that available using conventional patterning techniques.

Abstract: A silver halide photographic lightsensitive material comprising a support having thereon at least one lightsensitive silver halide emulsion layer, wherein the lightsensitive material contains at least one compound represented by general formula (I) and at least one photographically useful group-releasing compound represented by general formula (II) or (III) that is capable of forming a compound having substantially no contribution to a dye after its coupling with an oxidized form of a developing agent: (X)k—(L)m—(A—B)n??(I) COUP1—D1??(II) COUP2—C—E—D2??(III) The definitions of the substituents are set forth in the specification.

Abstract: A silver halide color photographic material, which can provide photographs reduced in unevenness of finished image density with high productivity and at low prices even when it undergoes exposure and photographic processing operations under high-speed transport in the form of sheets, and a method of forming images by use of such a photographic material.

Abstract: A reticle has a transparent substrate, mask shapes on the substrate, a transparent material covering the mask shapes and an optional anti-reflective material over the transparent material.

Abstract: The present invention provides a production method for a halftone phase mask which has an SiO2 substrate, an overlying refractory metal SixNy phase shifter layer (2) and an overlying chromium oxide or chromium mask layer (3), having the following steps: provision of a mask (4) on the chromium oxide or chromium mask layer (3); etching of the chromium oxide or chromium mask layer (3) for the purpose of forming a hard mask from the chromium oxide or chromium mask layer (3) in a first etching step; selective etching of the refractory metal SixNy phase shifter layer (2) using the hard mask in a plasma with a chlorine-containing and/or hydrogen-chloride-containing main gas in a second etching step with a predetermined cathode power of at least 20 W.

Abstract: A light-sensitive silver halide grain having an absorption band in a wavelength region of visible light is prepared to provide a silver halide photographic material having high spectral sensitivity in the visible region. The silver halide photographic material contains the light-sensitive silver halide grain having a metal complex dopant having an absorption band which has a molar absorption coefficient of 10,000 or more in a wavelength region of visible light in an ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrum of a solution thereof.

Abstract: This invention relates to a silver halide photographic material comprising at least one silver halide emulsion comprising silver halide grains having associated therewith: (a) a first dye (Dye 1) that is a cyanine dye capable of spectrally sensitizing a silver halide emulsion and that has at least one anionic substituent; and (b) a second dye (Dye 2) that is not a cyanine dye and that has at least one cationic substituent. Dye 2 has a log P, excluding any counterion, of less than 4.00 and greater than 1.00 or Dye 2 is represented by a dye of formula II as described herein.

Abstract: Provided are a silver halide photographic emulsion containing a metal complex represented by the following formula (I): Mm[IrCln(L1)k(L2)6-n-k]??(I) wherein, M represents a cation or anion, m represents an integer of 0 to 4, n represents an integer of 3 to 5, k represents an integer of 0 to 3, L1 represents a ligand selected from the group consisting of pyrroles, thiophenes, pyrazoles, isoxazoles, isothiazoles, imidazole, oxazoles, furazanes, heterocycles having at least 3 hetero atoms and ureas, L2 represents an inorganic ligand other than Cl with the proviso that when k represents 0, L2 represents none of F, Br, I, NO, H2O, CO and C2O4; and a metal complex represented by the following formula (IV): Nk?[IrX6-n?Qn?]??(IV) wherein, N represents a counter cation; X represents a halogen ion; Q represents a compound which contains at least three atoms selected from nitrogen and sulfur atoms, and 5 or less carbon atoms, may contain another atom, and exhibits a ratio of (the number of carbon atoms)/(the total n

Abstract: A silver halide photographic emulsion comprising grains, wherein not less than 50% of the number of all the grains are occupied by silver iodebromide or silver bromochloroiodide tabular grains each meeting the requirements (i) to (iii) below: (i) a thickness is less than 0.13 ?m; (ii) an equivalent-circle diameter is not less than 1.0 ?m; and (iii) a silver iodide content in a fringe internal region A between a twin plane and a grain major surface is higher than a silver iodide content in a fringe internal region B between two twin planes.

Abstract: A silver halide photographic emulsion is disclosed, comprising silver chloroiodide grains or silver chloroiodobromide grains, having 90 mol % or more of a silver chloride content, wherein the silver chloroiodide grains or silver chloroiodobromide grains have a layer having a silver iodide content of decreasing in the depth direction from the grain surface.