Abstract: A reflective mask blank comprises a substrate; a multilayer reflective film which is formed on the substrate and reflects EUV light; and a layered film which is formed on the multilayer reflective film. The layered film has an absolute reflectance of 2.5% or less with respect to EUV light, and comprises a first layer and a second layer formed on the first layer; and the first layer comprises a phase shift film which shifts the phase of EUV light. Alternatively, the layered film is a phase shift film which comprises a first layer and a second layer formed on the first layer, and which shifts the phase of EUV light; and the first layer comprises an absorption layer that has an absolute reflectance of 2.5% or less with respect to EUV light.

Abstract: A reflective mask blank includes a substrate; a multilayer reflective film that reflects EUV light; a protection film that protects the multilayer reflective film; and a phase shift film that shifts a phase of the EUV light, the substrate, the multilayer reflective film, the protection film, and the phase shift film being arranged in this order. The phase shift film contains at least one first element X1 selected from the first group consisting of ruthenium (Ru), iridium (Ir), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), and gold (Au), and at least one second element X2 selected from the second group consisting of oxygen (O), boron (B), carbon (C), and nitrogen (N). In the phase shift film, a chemical shift of a peak of 3d5/2 or a peak of 4f7/2 of the first element X1 observed by X-ray electron spectroscopy is less than 0.3 eV.

Abstract: A reflective mask blank includes a substrate and, on or above the substrate in order, a reflective layer for reflecting EUV light, a protective layer for protecting the reflective layer, and an absorbent layer for absorbing EUV light. The absorbent layer has a reflectance for a wavelength of 13.53 nm of from 2.5% to 10%. A film thickness d of the absorbent layer satisfies a relationship of: d M ? A ? X - ( i × 6 + 1 ) ? nm ? d ? d M ? A ? X - ( i × 6 - 1 ) ? nm where the integer i is 0 or 1, and dMAX is represented by: d MAX ( nm ) = 13.53 2 ? n ? cos ? 6 ? ° { INT ? ( 0.58 1 - n ) + 1 2 ? ? ? ( tan - 1 ( - k 1 - n ) + 0.64 ) } where n is a refractive index of the absorbent layer, k is an absorption coefficient of the absorbent layer, and INT(x) is a function of returning an integer value obtained by truncating a decimal part.

Abstract: There is provided a reflective photomask blank and a reflective photomask having good irradiation resistance and capable of obtaining good transfer performance. A reflective photomask blank (10) contains a reflective layer (2) reflecting incident light and an absorption layer (4) absorbing incident light, which are formed in this order on one surface side of a substrate (1). The absorption layer (4) contains a first material selected from the group consisting of tin, indium, and tellurium and a second material containing one or two or more kinds of materials selected from the group consisting of transition metals, bismuth (Bi), and silicon (Si) at least in the outermost layer. The content of the second material is more than 20 at and less than 50 at % in the same laver.

Abstract: A reflective film coated substrate includes a substrate having two main surfaces opposite to each other and end faces connected to outer edges of the two main surfaces; and a reflective film formed on one of the main surfaces and extending onto at least part of the end faces. The reflective film on the main surface has a multilayer structure including low refractive index layers and high refractive index layers alternately formed. The reflective film which extends onto the end faces has a single-layer structure containing a first element higher in content than any other element in the low refractive index layers and a second element higher in content than any other element in the high refractive index layers.

Abstract: An electron beam lithography system and an electron beam lithography process are disclosed herein for improving throughput. An exemplary method for increasing throughput achieved by an electron beam lithography system includes receiving an integrated circuit (IC) design layout that includes a target pattern, wherein the electron beam lithography system implements a first exposure dose to form the target pattern on a workpiece based on the IC design layout. The method further includes inserting a dummy pattern into the IC design layout to increase a pattern density of the IC design layout to greater than or equal to a threshold pattern density, thereby generating a modified IC design layout. The electron beam lithography system implements a second exposure dose that is less than the first exposure dose to form the target pattern on the workpiece based on the modified IC design layout.

Abstract: A reflective mask includes a substrate, a reflective multilayer disposed over the substrate, a capping layer disposed over the reflective multilayer, an intermediate layer disposed over the capping layer, an absorber layer disposed over the intermediate layer, and a cover layer disposed over the absorber layer. The absorber layer includes one or more layers of an Ir based material, a Pt based material or a Ru based material.

Abstract: A self-calibrating overlay metrology system may receive device overlay data for a device targets on a sample from an overlay metrology tool, determine preliminary device overlay measurements for the device targets including device-scale features using an overlay recipe with the device overlay data as inputs, receive assist overlay data for one or more assist targets on the sample including device-scale features from the overlay metrology tool, where at least one of the one or more assist targets has a programmed overlay offset of a selected value along a particular measurement direction, determine self-calibrating assist overlay measurements for the one or more assist targets based on the assist overlay data, where the self-calibrating assist overlay measurements are linearly proportional to overlay on the sample, and generate corrected overlay measurements for the device targets by adjusting the preliminary device overlay measurements based on the self-calibrating assist overlay measurements.

Abstract: The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to a method of developing a photosensitive material. The method includes forming a photosensitive material over a substrate. The photosensitive material is exposed to electromagnetic radiation focused at a plurality of different heights over the substrate. The plurality of different heights are vertically separated from one another and are disposed within the photosensitive material along a vertical path that extends in a direction perpendicular to an upper surface of the photosensitive material. The photosensitive material is developed to remove a soluble region.

Abstract: Provided are a reflective mask blank, having a phase shift film having little dependence of phase difference and reflectance on film thickness, and a reflective mask. The reflective mask blank is characterized in that the phase shift film is composed of a material comprised of an alloy having two or more types of metal so that reflectance of the surface of the phase shift film is more than 3% to not more than 20% and so as to have a phase difference of 170 degrees to 190 degrees, and when a group of metal elements that satisfies the refractive index n and the extinction coefficient k of k>?*n+? is defined as Group A and a group of metal elements that satisfies the refractive index n and the extinction coefficient k of k<?*n+? is defined as Group B, the alloy is such that the composition ratio is adjusted so that the amount of change in the phase difference is within the range of ±2 degrees and the amount of change in reflectance is within the range of ±0.

Abstract: Some embodiments include a reticle which includes first pattern features and second pattern features. A first optimal dose of actinic radiation is associated with the first pattern features and a second optimal dose of the actinic radiation is associated with the second pattern features. The second pattern features are larger than the first pattern features. Each of the second pattern features has a configuration which includes a central region laterally surrounded by an outer region, with the central region being of different opacity than the outer region. The configurations of the second pattern features balance the second optimal dose of the actinic radiation to be within about 5% of the first optimal dose of the actinic radiation. Some embodiments include photo-processing methods.

Abstract: A method for forming a target substrate is provided. The method includes providing a mask substrate. The method also includes providing a second base with a material layer. The method further includes arranging the mask substrate and the second base correspondingly. In addition, the method includes performing exposure and development processes on the material layer to form the target substrate and removing the mask substrate.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a method includes the following steps. A layout used in a lithographic mask development process is accessed. For example, the layout may be the layout of the mask itself, or it may be the layout of the resulting printed pattern on the wafer. The layout includes a number of disjoint shapes. Skeleton representations for at least some of the disjoint shapes in the layout are determined. The skeleton representation of an individual shape has elements of two or more nodes connected by edges. It also includes size parameters for at least some of the elements. The skeleton representations of the shapes are used in the mask development process.

Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor device includes defining a pattern including a plurality of sub-patterns on the photomask in the pattern region based on the identifying information. The defining of the pattern includes defining a first sub-pattern of the plurality of sub-patterns having a first spacing from a second sub-pattern of the plurality of sub-patterns, wherein the first spacing is different from a second spacing between the second sub-pattern and a third sub-pattern of the plurality of sub-patterns, or rotating the first sub-pattern about an axis perpendicular to a top surface of the photomask relative to the second sub-pattern.

Abstract: A photolithographic mask assembly according to the present disclosure accompanies a photolithographic mask. The photolithographic mask includes a capping layer over a substrate and an absorber layer disposed over the capping layer. The absorber layer includes a first main feature area, a second main feature area, and a venting feature area disposed between the first main feature area and the second main feature area. The venting feature area includes a plurality of venting features.

Abstract: A substrate with a multilayer reflection film for an EUV mask blank including a substrate, and a multilayer reflection film formed on the substrate is provided. The multilayer reflection film includes a Si/Mo laminated portion and a protection layer containing Ru and including a lower layer composed of Ru, and an upper layer composed of a material containing Ru and at least one selected from the group consisting of metals other than Ru, and metalloids.

Abstract: A pellicle for an EUV photo mask includes a first layer; a second layer; and a main layer disposed between the first layer and second layer and including a plurality of nanotubes. At least one of the first layer or the second layer includes a two-dimensional material in which one or more two-dimensional layers are stacked. In one or more of the foregoing and following embodiments, the first layer includes a first two-dimensional material and the second layer includes a second two-dimensional material.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a reflective mask blank includes: forming a multilayer reflective film, which is configured to reflect EUV light, on a substrate to form a substrate with a multilayer reflective film; subjecting the substrate with a multilayer reflective film to defect inspection; forming an absorber film, which is configured to absorb the EUV light, on the multilayer reflective film of the substrate with a multilayer reflective film; forming a reflective mask blank, in which an alignment region is formed in an outer peripheral edge region of a pattern formation region by removing the absorber film so that the multilayer reflective film of an area including an element serving as a reference of defect information on the multilayer reflective film is exposed in the alignment region; and performing defect management of the reflective mask blank through use of the alignment region.

Abstract: To provide a pellicle in which outgas from an adhesive layer is suppressed. The pellicle includes a pellicle film, a support frame for supporting the pellicle film, a protrusion part arranged in the support frame, a first adhesive layer arranged on the protrusion part; and an inorganic material layer arranged at a position closer to the pellicle film than the first adhesive layer. The inorganic material layer may include a first inorganic material layer arranged at a first side surface of the first adhesive layer, the first side surface of the first adhesive layer intersecting the pellicle film, and arranged at a position closer to the pellicle film.

Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet mask including a substrate, a reflective multilayer stack on the substrate and a patterned absorber layer on the reflective multilayer stack is provided. The patterned absorber layer includes an alloy comprising tantalum and at least one alloying element. The at least one alloying element includes at least one transition metal element or at least one Group 14 element.