Abstract: Polarized reticles, photolithography systems utilizing a polarized reticle, and methods of using such a system are disclosed. A polarized reticle is formed having a reticle containing at least one first patterned region at least partially surrounded by at least one second patterned region. The first patterned region of the polarized reticle includes a polarized material and the second patterned region of the polarized reticle also includes a polarized material. Polarization directions of the polarized materials of the two regions are generally orthogonal to each other. When the polarized reticle is irradiated using linear polarized light having a selected polarization direction, the polarized materials on the two regions of the polarized reticle may be selectively used as a filter to enable exposing the different regions of the polarized reticle separately under optimal illumination conditions.

Abstract: A mask pattern includes a main pattern to be transferred through exposure and an auxiliary pattern that diffracts exposing light and is not transferred through the exposure. The main pattern is made from a shielding portion, a phase shifter or a combination of a semi-shielding portion or a shielding portion and a phase shifter. The auxiliary pattern is made from a shielding portion or a semi-shielding portion. The auxiliary pattern is disposed in a position away from the main pattern by a distance M×(?/(2×sin ?)) or M×((?/(2×sin ?))+(?/(NA+sin ?))), wherein ? indicates a wavelength of the exposing light, M and NA indicate magnification and numerical aperture of a reduction projection optical system of an aligner and ? indicates an oblique incident angle.

Abstract: The invention includes methods of converting reticles from configurations suitable for utilization with later generation (shorter wavelength) stepper radiations to configurations suitable for utilization with earlier generation (longer wavelength) stepper radiations. The invention can be utilized for converting a reticle from a configuration suitable for 193 nanometer wavelength radiation to a configuration suitable for 248 nanometer wavelength radiation. In such aspect, a quartz-containing material of a substrate can be protected with a patterned layer consisting essentially of molybdenum and silicon while the quartz-containing material is subjected to a dry etch.

Abstract: A method of forming a latent image pattern in a photoresist film by providing a photomask for near-field light exposure that includes a transparent support and a shading member having a pattern of at least two apertures with different widths not greater than the wavelength of light from a light source. The shading member has a constant thickness that is set such that differences between light intensities directly below each of the apertures of different widths are 20% or less based on a largest light intensity of the light intensities directly below each of the apertures. The method includes placing the photomask on the photoresist film and irradiating with light from the light source. For manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method further includes developing a photoresist pattern from the latent image in the photoresist film on a silicon substrate and transferring the photoresist pattern onto the silicon substrate by etching.

Abstract: To provide a mask able to prevent a drop in pattern position accuracy due to the influence of internal stress of a membrane and able to align patterns including complementary divided patterns precisely, a method of producing the same, and a method of producing a semiconductor device. A stencil mask having lattice-shaped struts formed by etching a silicon wafer on four regions of a membrane wherein the lattices are offset from each other in the four regions and all of the struts are connected to other struts or the silicon wafer around the membrane (frame), a method of producing a stencil mask, and a method of producing a semiconductor device.

Abstract: A method for exposing a workpiece on the basis of near-field light escaping from an exposure mask having a light blocking film with a plurality of rectangular openings. The method includes protecting non-polarized near-field exposure light from a light source through the openings of the exposure mask to perform exposure of a pattern on the workpiece. The widths of the rectangular openings are smaller than that at a cross-point between a first curve on a coordinate of widths of the openings versus a near-field light intensity for an incident-light electric-field direction perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of a small-opening pattern and a second curve on the same coordinate for an incident-light electric-field direction parallel to the lengthwise direction of the small-opening pattern.

Abstract: Corner rounding and image shortening is substantially reduced in an image printed on a substrate by illuminating a photolithographic mask and projecting light transmitted through the photolithographic mask onto the substrate using an optical projection system. The photolithographic mask has a mask pattern that includes at least one printable feature having at least one corner. Incorporated, in the mask pattern, is at least one line feature corresponding to the corner of the printable feature. The line feature is in at least close proximity to the corresponding corner of the printable feature and has a line width that is smaller than a minimum resolution of the optical projection system.

Abstract: A phase shift mask includes a transparent substrate, a semi-dense pattern, and a dense pattern. The semi-dense pattern is formed on the transparent substrate including a plurality of phase shift regions and non-phase shift regions arranged successively. The dense pattern is formed on the transparent substrate including a plurality of non-phase shift regions, phase shift regions, and non-transparent regions.

Abstract: For efficiently manufacturing half-tone phase shifting mask blanks having uniform product qualities, which enables the prevention of optical property variations when the blanks are mass-produced, there is provided a process for manufacturing half-tone phase shifting mask blanks each having a phase shifting film containing at least one half-tone film on a transparent substrate, comprising the step of providing a target containing a metal and silicon, and carrying out reactive sputtering in an atmosphere containing a reactive gas, to form said half-tone film on said transparent substrate, wherein the formation of the half-tone film by said reactive sputtering is carried out using, as said target, a target having a metal/silicon compositional ratio selected so as to give a predetermined optical property of the half-tone film, at a reactive gas flow rate selected from a region where a discharge characteristic is stabilized against a change in the flow rate of the reactive gas.

Abstract: A method of generating complementary masks for use in a multiple-exposure lithographic imaging process.

Abstract: A phase shift mask shape that reduces line-end shortening at the critical feature without changing layout size increases required of requisite phase shift rules. The phase feature is given an angled extension, which includes the lithographic shortening value. This allows the critical shape to be designed much closer to the reference layer then it could without the angled extension feature. Phase mask extension features beyond a given device segment are significantly reduced by lengthening the feature along an uncritical portion; moving the feature reference point to the device layer; and flattening the phase extension feature into an L-shape or T-shape along the uncritical parts of a device segment. Applying these design rules allows a draw of the gate conductor under current conditions and puts phase shapes inside without extending the gate conductor dimensions to the next feature.

Abstract: A phase shift mask comprises a transparent substrate having a patterned opaque material layer formed thereupon to form a non-transmissive region of the transparent substrate and an adjoining transmissive region of the transparent substrate. A pit is formed within the transmissive region of the transparent substrate. The pit has a stepped sidewall such as to provide the phase shift mask with enhanced optical performance. The phase shift mask may be fabricated employing a self aligned method.

Abstract: A laser beam pattern mask includes at least one or more transmitting parts, each transmitting part having a central portion and a pair of edge portions provided to both sides of the central portion, each having a substantially triangular shape defined by a virtual boundary line between the central portion and the corresponding edge portion, an upper outside extending from an upper end of the boundary line at an acute angle, and a lower outside extending from a lower end of the boundary line at the acute angle to meet the upper outside at a rounded corner.

Abstract: A transparent amorphous carbon layer is formed. The transparent amorphous carbon layer has a low absorption coefficient such that the amorphous carbon is transparent in visible light. The transparent amorphous carbon layer may be used in semiconductor devices for different purposes. The transparent amorphous carbon layer may be included in a final structure in semiconductor devices. The transparent amorphous carbon layer may also be used as a mask in an etching process during fabrication of semiconductor devices.

Abstract: A mask for laser irradiation includes a base substrate, a laser beam shielding pattern on a first surface of the base substrate, wherein the laser beam shielding pattern is made of an opaque metallic material and has laser beam transmitting portions spaced apart from each other, and an anti-thermal oxidation layer covering the laser beam shielding pattern, wherein a second surface of the base substrate is an incident surface of a laser beam.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a substrate in particular of EUV microlithography, to the production of a substrate of this type and to the use of this substrate as a substrate for mirrors and/or masks or mask blanks in particular in EUV microlithography.

Abstract: A reflective mask may include an anti-reflective (AR) coating on an absorber layer to improve inspection contrast in an inspection system using deep ultraviolet (DUV) light. A silicon nitride (Si3N4) AR coating may be used on a chromium (Cr) or tantalum nitride (TaN) absorber layer.

Abstract: A method of forming a device pattern of a semiconductor device. The method includes the steps of carrying out an over-exposure to a resist film using a mask which has transmission regions which are positioned about a circumference of each of intended patterns of a resist film. Then carrying out a development of the resist film to form a resist pattern having the intended patterns. And then forming a device pattern of a semiconductor device by use of the resist pattern.

Abstract: An exposure method is disclosed, which comprises preparing a first mask in which a size of a mask pattern is measured in advance, calculating a first exposure quantity to be applied to the first mask to provide a first resist pattern by using the first mask, simulating optical intensity distributions on a wafer in a case where the first mask is used and an optical intensity distribution on the wafer in a case where a second mask is used, a size of a mask pattern of the second mask being measured in advance, calculating a difference in optical intensity between the first mask and the second mask from the simulated optical intensity distributions, and calculating a second exposure quantity to be applied to the second mask to provide a second resist pattern, from the first exposure quantity and the difference in optical intensity.

Abstract: A mask for use on a layer of imaging material which is located on at least a portion of one surface of a substrate in a lithography process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention includes a layer of a masking material which has an optical density of at least 4.0 for wavelengths at or below about 180 nm and a thickness of less than about 1000 angstroms. Materials, such as tungsten and amorphous silicon, can be used for the mask.