Abstract: A lithography mask includes a substrate, a reflective structure disposed over a first side of the substrate, and a patterned absorber layer disposed over the reflective structure. The lithography mask includes a first region and a second region that surrounds the first region in a top view. The patterned absorber layer is located in the first region. A substantially non-reflective material is located in the second region. The lithography mask is formed by forming a reflective structure over a substrate, forming an absorber layer over the reflective structure, defining a first region of the lithography mask, and defining a second region of the lithography mask. The defining of the first region includes patterning the absorber layer. The second region is defined to surround the first region in a top view. The defining of the second region includes forming a substantially non-reflective material in the second region.

Abstract: A method for removing photoresist bridging defects includes coating a photoresist layer over a dielectric layer formed over a substrate, applying a first developer that results in formation of one or more photoresist bridging defects, and applying a second developer to remove the one or more photoresist bridging defects. The first developer is an aqueous base developer and the second developer is a reverse tone weak developer (RTWD), the RTWD being a mixture of a first (good) solvent and a second (bad) solvent for the photoresist.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for planarization. The method includes providing a substrate having a top surface and a trench recessed from the top surface; coating a sensitive material layer on the top surface of the substrate, wherein the sensitive material layer fills in the trench; performing an activation treatment to the sensitive material layer so that portions of the material layer are chemically changed; and performing a wet chemical process to the sensitive material layer so that top portions of the sensitive material layer above the trench are removed, wherein remaining portions of the sensitive material layer have top surfaces substantially coplanar with the top surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A method for removing photoresist bridging defects includes coating a photoresist layer over a dielectric layer formed over a substrate, applying a first developer that results in formation of one or more photoresist bridging defects, and applying a second developer to remove the one or more photoresist bridging defects. The first developer is an aqueous base developer and the second developer is a reverse tone weak developer (RTWD), the RTWD being a mixture of a first (good) solvent and a second (bad) solvent for the photoresist.

Abstract: An optical assembly includes an optical element (13), configured in particular for the reflection of EUV radiation (4), and a protective element (30) for protecting a surface (31) of the optical element (13, 14) from contaminating substances (P). The protective element (30) has a membrane (33a-c) and a frame (34) on which the membrane (33a-c) is mounted. The membrane is formed by a plurality of membrane segments (33a, 33b, 33c) which respectively protect a partial region (T) of the surface (31) of the optical element (13) from the contaminating substances (P). The optical assembly can form part of an overall optical arrangement, for example an EUV lithography system.

Abstract: The present application provides novel methods for the fabrication of nanostructures. More specifically, the invention relates to direct electron beam lithography with the use of silk fibroin as “green” resists.

Abstract: A pellicle configured to protecting a photomask from external contaminants may include a metal catalyst layer and a pellicle membrane including a 2D material on the metal catalyst layer, wherein the metal catalyst layer supports edge regions of the pellicle membrane and does not support a central region of the pellicle membrane. The metal catalyst layer may be on a substrate, such that the substrate and the metal catalyst layer collectively support the edge region of the pellicle membrane and do not support the central region of the pellicle membrane. The pellicle may be formed based on growing the 2D material on the metal catalyst layer and etching an inner region of the metal catalyst layer that supports the central region of the formed pellicle membrane.

Abstract: Provided are a pellicle film, a pellicle frame and a pellicle having a higher EUV transmittance. An exposure pattern plate capable of performing EUV lithography with the pellicle film, the pellicle frame or the pellicle, and a method for producing a semiconductor device, are provided. A pellicle film for exposure extendable over an opening of a support frame and having a thickness of 200 nm or less is provided. The film includes a carbon nanotube sheet. The carbon nanotube sheet includes bundles each including a plurality of carbon nanotubes, the bundles each have a diameter of 100 nm or shorter, and the bundles are aligned in a planar direction in the carbon nanotube sheet.

Abstract: A photomask and an exposure method are provided. The photomask includes a photomask body including a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; and a first light-transmissive region penetrating through the first surface and the second surface, wherein a light adjustment component is in the first light-transmissive region and configured to converge a first light beam incident onto the first surface to a second light beam emergent from the second surface, and a cross-sectional area of the first light beam sectioned by the first surface is larger than that of the second light beam sectioned by the second surface.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an extreme ultraviolet mask, including forming a multilayer Mo/Si stack including alternating Mo and Si layers over a first major surface of a mask substrate, and forming a capping layer over the multilayer Mo/Si stack. An absorber layer is formed on the capping layer, and a hard mask layer is formed over the absorber layer. The hard mask layer is patterned to form a hard mask layer pattern. The hard mask layer pattern is extended into the absorber layer to expose the capping layer and form a mask pattern. A border pattern is formed around the mask pattern. The border pattern is extended through the multilayer Mo/Si stack to expose the mask substrate and form a trench surrounding the mask pattern. A passivation layer is formed along sidewalls of the trench.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pellicle structure may include preparing a pellicle membrane that includes an intermediate layer structure in which EUV transmission layers and heat dissipation layers are alternately stacked, a first thin layer disposed on a top surface of the intermediate layer structure, and a second thin layer disposed on a bottom surface of the intermediate layer structure and having a heat emissivity lower than that of the first thin layer, and disposing a cooling structure for absorbing heat from the pellicle membrane on an edge sidewall of the pellicle membrane at which the heat dissipation layers are exposed.

Abstract: An object is to provide a mask blank for manufacturing a phase shift mask in which a thermal expansion of a phase shift pattern, which is caused when exposure light is radiated onto the phase shift pattern, and displacement of the phase shift pattern are suppressed to be small. A phase shift film has a function of transmitting exposure light from an ArF excimer laser at a transmittance of 2% or higher and 30% or lower and a function of generating a phase difference of 150° or larger and 180° or smaller between the exposure light that has been transmitted through the phase shift film and the exposure light that has passed through air by a distance equal to a thickness of the phase shift film. The phase shift film is formed of a material containing a metal and silicon, and has a structure in which a lower layer and an upper layer are laminated in the stated order from a transparent substrate side.

Abstract: To provide a reflective mask blank for EUV lithography which is excellent in flatness, whereby the deterioration of the overlay accuracy at the time of pattern transfer can be relatively easily corrected, and the deterioration of the overlay accuracy due to the flatness is small.

Abstract: Provided is a mask blank (100) for manufacturing a phase shift mask.

Abstract: An optical proximity correction (OPC) method includes preparing basic data for OPC, measuring with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) an after development inspection (ADI) critical dimension (CD) of a photoresist (PR) pattern with respect to a sample, measuring with the SEM an after cleaning inspection (ACI) CD of a wafer pattern formed using the PR pattern, generating CD data of the sample reflecting PR shrinking caused by the SEM measurement by using the measured ADI CD of the PR pattern and the measured ACI CD of the wafer pattern; and generating an OPC model based on the basic data and the CD data of the sample.

Abstract: A method for producing a pellicle according to the one embodiment of the present invention produces a pellicle including a pellicle film and a pellicle frame supporting an outer peripheral portion of the pellicle film. The method includes forming the pellicle film on a substrate, and bonding a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet, that is elastic and has a pressure-sensitive adhesive force thereof decreased upon receipt of external stimulation, to each of two surfaces of the substrate; making a notch inside a part of the substrate, the part having the pressure-sensitive adhesive sheets bonded thereto; separating a substrate outer peripheral portion outer to the notch of the substrate, in a state where the pressure-sensitive adhesive sheets are bonded to the substrate, to form a pellicle frame; and stimulating the pressure-sensitive adhesive sheets to peel off the pressure-sensitive adhesive sheets.

Abstract: An electronic-component manufacturing method is for simultaneously manufacturing a plurality of electronic components each including an element body and a conductor. The electronic-component manufacturing method includes the steps of forming laminates to be the plurality of electronic components on a plurality of regions set apart from each other on a surface of a first substrate, releasing the laminates from the plurality of regions, and performing heat treatment to the laminates. The forming the laminates includes a first step of forming element-body patterns on the plurality of regions and a second step of forming conductor patterns on the plurality of regions. The element-body patterns contain a constituent material of the element bodies and are patterned for the plurality of regions. The conductor patterns contain a constituent material of the conductors and are patterned for the plurality of regions.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, includes dividing a pattern region of a desired pattern that is to be formed on a semiconductor substrate into a plurality of sub-regions; calculating combination condition including a shape of illumination light for transferring and a mask pattern obtained by correcting a partial pattern in the sub-region of the desired pattern formed on a mask used during transferring for each of the plurality of sub-regions, to make a dimension error of the partial pattern of each of the plurality of sub-regions smaller when transferred to the semiconductor substrate; and forming the desired pattern by making multiple exposures on the semiconductor substrate in such a way that the partial patterns of the sub-regions divided are sequentially transferred by transferring a pattern to the semiconductor substrate using the combination conditions calculated for each of the sub-regions.

Abstract: A reflection type exposure mask includes a substrate, a reflective layer provided on the substrate, and a light absorption layer provided on the surface of the reflective layer. The light absorption layer includes a first absorber and a second absorber. The first absorber extends in a first direction along the surface of the reflective layer. The second absorber extends in a second direction along the surface of the reflective layer, which intersects with the first direction. The thickness of the second absorber in a third direction which is perpendicular to the surface of the reflective layer is thinner than the thickness of the first absorber in the third direction.

Abstract: A lithography mask includes a substrate, a reflective structure disposed over a first side of the substrate, and a patterned absorber layer disposed over the reflective structure. The lithography mask includes a first region and a second region that surrounds the first region in a top view. The patterned absorber layer is located in the first region. A substantially non-reflective material is located in the second region. The lithography mask is formed by forming a reflective structure over a substrate, forming an absorber layer over the reflective structure, defining a first region of the lithography mask, and defining a second region of the lithography mask. The defining of the first region includes patterning the absorber layer. The second region is defined to surround the first region in a top view. The defining of the second region includes forming a substantially non-reflective material in the second region.