Abstract: A mask blank suitable for fabricating a phase shift mask having a thin film pattern composed of a material enabling dry etching with a fluorine-based gas and a substrate-engraved pattern. The mask blank 100 is used to fabricate a phase shift mask having a thin film pattern and a substrate-engraved pattern. The mask blank 100 has a structure in which an etching stopper film 2, a thin film for pattern formation 3 and an etching mask film 4 are laminated in this order on a transparent substrate 1. The etching stopper film 2 is made of a material that contains chromium and oxygen and the oxygen content thereof is more than 50 at %. The thin film 3 is made of a material that can be dry-etched by a fluorine-based gas. The etching mask film 4 is made of a material that contains chromium, the chromium content thereof is not less than 45 at %, and the oxygen content thereof is not more than 30 at %.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to modified surfaces of extreme ultraviolet lithography photomasks and methods of manufacture. The structure includes a reflective surface having a patterned design, and a black border region at edges of the patterned design. The black border region includes a modified surface morphology to direct light away from reaching a subsequent mirror.

Abstract: Provided is a mask blank in which a thin film for transfer pattern formation is provided on a main surface of a transparent substrate. The thin film is made of a material containing a transition metal and silicon and further containing at least one of oxygen and nitrogen. The thin film has as its surface layer an oxide layer with an oxygen content higher than that of the thin film of a region other than the surface layer. The thin film is formed so that the thickness of its outer peripheral portion is greater than that of its central portion on the main surface side. The oxide layer is formed so that the thickness of its outer peripheral portion is greater than that of its central portion on the main surface side.

Abstract: To provide a phase-shift mask in which the reduction in thickness of a light-shielding film is provided when a transition metal silicide-based material is used for the light-shielding film and by which the problem of ArF light fastness can be solved; and a mask blank for manufacturing the phase-shift mask. A mask blank 10 comprises a phase-shift film 2 and a light-shielding film 4 on a transparent substrate 1, the phase-shift film 2 is made of a material with ArF light fastness, and at least one layer in the light-shielding film 4 is made of a material which contains transition metal, silicon, and nitrogen, and satisfies the conditions of Formula (1) below: CN?9.0×10?6×RM4?1.65×10?4×RM3?7.718×10?2×RM2+3.611×RM?21.084??Formula (1) wherein RM is a ratio of the content of transition metal to the total content of transition metal and silicon in said one layer, and CN is the content of nitrogen in said one layer.

Abstract: A reflective mask blank, which includes a substrate, a reflective multilayer film for reflecting exposure light, and an absorber layer for absorbing the exposure light in this order; the reflective multilayer film having at least three fiducial marks formed in a concave shape in an area outside an exposure area for patterning the reflective multilayer film on a front side thereof, each of the fiducial marks including a concave portion having an inclination angle ?, the absorber layer having a film thickness of from 40 to 90 nm; the absorber layer having transferred marks formed in a concave shape on a front side thereof, the transferred marks being transferred from the at least three fiducial marks, each of the transferred marks including a concave portion having an inclination angle of from 35 to 80°; and a difference between the inclination angle ? and the inclination angle ? (inclination angle ??inclination angle ?) being at least 10°.

Abstract: A reflective photomask includes: a substrate; a multilayer reflection film formed on the substrate and reflecting exposure light including light with a wavelength of about 5 nm to 15 nm for lithography; an absorption film formed on the multilayer reflection film and absorbing the exposure light, and formed therein with a circuit pattern or a circuit pattern forming region where the circuit pattern is formed; a shading region formed by removing part of the multilayer reflection film and the absorption film on the substrate, on an outer peripheral side of the circuit pattern or the circuit pattern forming region to shade part of the exposure light reflected by the multilayer reflection film; and a plurality of projections formed at a pitch of about 3000 nm or less on part of a surface of the substrate exposed in the shading region, and suppressing reflection of out-of-band light with a wavelength of about 140 nm to 800 nm included in the exposure light and incident on the shading region.

Abstract: A reflective mask reducing reflection of out-of-band light. The reflective mask includes a light shielding frame formed in a mask region corresponding to a boundary region of a chip on a semiconductor substrate multiply exposed. The substrate of the light shielding frame includes a layer having a different refractive index or includes pores to change the path of incident out-of-band light to thereby suppress the out-of-band light from being reflected off the conductive film. The substrate also includes a layer having a different refractive index relative to out-of-band light reflected off the conductive layer. With the reflective mask of this configuration, influence on the wiring pattern dimension can be reduced and productivity of the semiconductors can be improved.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of repairing a mask. The method includes receiving a mask that includes a patterned feature, the patterned feature producing a phase-shift and having a transmittance; identifying a defect region on the mask; and forming a repair feature over the defect region on the mask, wherein forming the repair feature includes forming a first patterned material layer over the defect region and forming a second patterned material layer over the first patterned material layer to form the repair feature, the repair feature producing the phase-shift and having the transmittance.

Abstract: A glass substrate for a mask blank has main surfaces. A root-mean-square surface roughness (RMS) in at least one main surface is 0.15 nm or less. An aspect ratio of a surface profile (Str) of the main surface in accordance with ISO 25178-2:2012, where s=0.2, is 0.30 or more. The aspect ratio is determined through measurement of the surface profile at measurement intervals of 0.2 nm or less in a measurement range of 100 nm×100 nm using an atomic force microscope.

Abstract: Disclosed is a mask for use in a lithography system having a defined resolution. The mask comprises first and second patterns that are greater than the defined resolution and a sub-resolution feature that is less than the defined resolution. Portions of the first and second patterns are positioned close to each other and separated by the sub-resolution feature in an intersection area. The size and shape of the sub-resolution feature are such that when the mask is used in the lithography system, a resulting pattern includes the first and second patterns interconnected with each other through the interconnection area.

Abstract: Disclosed is a mask blank substrate for use in lithography, wherein a main surface of the substrate satisfies a relational equation of (BA70?BA30)/(BD70?BD30)?350 (%/nm), and has a maximum height (Rmax)?1.2 nm in a relation between a bearing area (%) and a bearing depth (nm) obtained by measuring, with an atomic force microscope, an area of 1 ?m×1 ?m in the main surface on the side of the substrate where a transfer pattern is formed, wherein BA30 is defined as a bearing area of 30%, BA70 is defined as a bearing area of 70%, and BD70 and BD30 are defined to respectively represent bearing depths for the bearing area of 30% and the bearing area of 70%.

Abstract: A phase shift mask enables much smaller scale of electronic circuit pattern. A phase shift mask comprises a transparent substrate, a phase shift pattern arranged on the transparent substrate to change a phase of light that penetrates the transparent substrate, and a metal coating layer arranged on at least a part of a surface of the phase shift pattern.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a mask includes a substrate, first and second pattern portions. The substrate includes a first surface, and the substrate is light transmissive. The first pattern portion includes first optical members. The first optical members are provided on the first surface. A light transmittance of the first optical members is lower than a light transmittance of the substrate. A distance between the adjacent two first optical members is a first distance. The second pattern portion includes second optical members. The second optical members are provided on the first surface. A light transmittance of the second optical members is lower than the light transmittance of the substrate. A distance between the adjacent two second optical members is a second distance. A first phase of a light penetrating the first pattern portion is different from a second phase of a light penetrating the second pattern portion.

Abstract: A pellicle includes a pellicle frame, a pellicle membrane, and an attaching element, a first surface of the attaching element having exposed pores.

Abstract: The present invention provides a mask blank used to produce a halftone phase shift mask to which ArF excimer laser exposure light is to be applied. The present invention attains the object by providing the mask blank comprising a transparent substrate, and a light semitransmissive layer formed on the transparent substrate and made only of Si and N or a light semitransmissive layer formed on the transparent substrate and made only of Si, N and O, wherein the light semitransmissive layer has an extinction coefficient of 0.2 to 0.45 at a wavelength of ArF excimer laser exposure light, a refractive index of 2.3 to 2.7 at the wavelength of ArF excimer laser exposure light, and a transmittance of 15 to 38% at the wavelength of ArF excimer laser exposure light, and further has a layer thickness of 57 to 67 nm.

Abstract: A pellicle for a reflective mask including a pellicle body, a light shielding pattern, a grating pattern, and a pellicle frame. The pellicle body includes a central region and a peripheral region, wherein the peripheral region surrounds the central region. The light shielding pattern is formed on the peripheral region of the pellicle body; the grating pattern is formed on the light shielding pattern, and the pellicle frame is located under the peripheral region of the pellicle body, and the pellicle frame is configured to support the pellicle body.

Abstract: Embodiments of EUV photomasks and methods for forming a EUV photomask are provided. The method comprises providing a substrate, a reflective layer, a capping layer, a hard mask layer, and forming an opening therein. An absorber layer is then filled in the opening and over the top surface of the hard mask layer. A planarized process is provided to remove the absorber layer above the top surface of the hard mask layer and form an absorber in the opening, wherein the absorber has a top portion wider than a bottom portion.

Abstract: A photomask blank comprising a transparent substrate and a chromium-containing film is provided. The chromium-containing film is formed of a chromium compound containing Cr, N, and optionally O, has a total Cr+N+O content?93 at %, and meets the formula: 3Cr?2O+3N. A chromium compound layer meeting a first composition having a N/Cr atomic ratio?0.95, a Cr content ?40 at %, a Cr+N content?80 at %, and an O content?10 at % accounts for 10-70% of the overall thickness of the chromium-containing film.

Abstract: A photomask blank comprising a transparent substrate and a chromium-containing film is provided. The chromium-containing film is constructed by one or more chromium compound layers which are formed of a chromium compound containing Cr, N and optionally O, and have a composition having a Cr content ?30 at % and a total Cr+N+O content ?93 at %, and meeting the formula: 3Cr?2O+3N. A chromium compound layer meeting a first composition having an N/Cr atomic ratio ?0.95, a Cr content ?40 at %, a total Cr+N content ?80 at %, and an O content ?10 at % is included to a thickness of more than 70% to 100% of the overall thickness of the chromium-containing film.

Abstract: To provide a reflective mask blank which may inhibit a variation in reflectance with respect to EUV light due to counter diffusion between a protective film and a material of an adjacent phase-shift film pattern caused by thermal diffusion even if the power of an exposure light source of an EUV exposure machine becomes high; a reflective mask manufactured therefrom; and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. The reflective mask blank comprises a multilayer reflective film 13, protective film 14, and phase-shift film 16 for shifting a phase of the EUV light, which are formed in said order on a substrate 12.