Abstract: Absorber material used in conventional EUVL reticles is eliminated by introducing a direct modulation in the complex-valued reflectance of the multilayer. A spatially localized energy source such as a focused electron or ion beam directly writes a reticle pattern onto the reflective multilayer coating. Interdiffusion is activated within the film by an energy source that causes the multilayer period to contract in the exposed regions. The contraction is accurately determined by the energy dose. A controllable variation in the phase and amplitude of the reflected field in the reticle plane is produced by the spatial modulation of the multilayer period. This method for patterning an EUVL reticle has the advantages (1) avoiding the process steps associated with depositing and patterning an absorber layer and (2) providing control of the phase and amplitude of the reflected field with high spatial resolution.

Abstract: A method is provided for repairing defects in a multilayer coating layered onto a reticle blank used in an extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) system. Using high lateral spatial resolution, energy is deposited in the multilayer coating in the vicinity of the defect. This can be accomplished using a focused electron beam, focused ion beam or a focused electromagnetic radiation. The absorbed energy will cause a structural modification of the film, producing a localized change in the film thickness. The change in film thickness can be controlled with sub-nanometer accuracy by adjusting the energy dose. The lateral spatial resolution of the thickness modification is controlled by the localization of the energy deposition. The film thickness is adjusted locally to correct the perturbation of the reflected field. For example, when the structural modification is a localized film contraction, the repair of a defect consists of flattening a mound or spreading out the sides of a depression.