Patents by Inventor Atsushi Kominato

Atsushi Kominato has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9005851
    Abstract: The present invention provides a photomask blank used for producing a photomask to which an ArF excimer laser light is applied, wherein: a light-shielding film is provided on a light transmissive substrate; the light-shielding film has a laminated structure in which a lower layer, an interlayer and an upper layer are laminated in this order from the side close to the light transmissive substrate; the thickness of the entire light-shielding film is 60 nm or less; the lower layer is made of a film containing a metal and has a first etching rate; the upper layer is made of a film containing a metal and has a third etching rate; the interlayer is made of a film containing the same metal as that contained in the lower layer or the upper layer and has a second etching rate that is lower than the first etching rate and the third etching rate; and the thickness of the interlayer is 30% or less of the thickness of the entire light-shielding film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Iwashita, Hiroaki Shishido, Atsushi Kominato, Masahiro Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20150056539
    Abstract: The present invention provides a photomask blank used for producing a photomask to which an ArF excimer laser light is applied, wherein: a light-shielding film is provided on a light transmissive substrate; the light-shielding film has a laminated structure in which a lower layer, an interlayer and an upper layer are laminated in this order from the side close to the light transmissive substrate; the thickness of the entire light-shielding film is 60 nm or less; the lower layer is made of a film containing a metal and has a first etching rate; the upper layer is made of a film containing a metal and has a third etching rate; the interlayer is made of a film containing the same metal as that contained in the lower layer or the upper layer and has a second etching rate that is lower than the first etching rate and the third etching rate; and the thickness of the interlayer is 30% or less of the thickness of the entire light-shielding film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Iwashita, Hiroaki Shishido, Atsushi Kominato, Masahiro Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8940462
    Abstract: [Object] A photomask blank for use in producing a photomask for exposure with an ArF excimer laser. The photomask blank is intended to be applied to the 32-nm DRAM half-pitch (hp) and succeeding generations in the semiconductor design rule. [Solution] The photomask blank is for use in producing a photomask to which an exposure light having a wavelength not longer than 200 nm is applied. The photomask blank is characterized by comprising a transparent substrate, a light-shielding film formed on the transparent substrate and containing molybdenum and silicon, and an etching mask film formed directly on the light-shielding film and containing chromium. The photomask blank is further characterized in that the light-shielding film comprises a light-shielding layer and an antireflection layer which have been disposed in this order from the transparent substrate side, the light-shielding layer having a molybdenum content of 9-40 at %, and that the etching mask film has a chromium content of 45 at % or lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Hashimoto, Atsushi Kominato
  • Publication number: 20140322634
    Abstract: A mask blank for manufacturing a transfer mask adapted to be applied with ArF excimer laser exposure light that has a transparent substrate and a light-shielding film formed into a transfer pattern. The light-shielding film has at least two-layers, one a lower layer composed mainly of a first material containing a transition metal, silicon, and nitrogen, and the other an upper layer composed mainly of a second material containing a transition metal, silicon, and nitrogen. A ratio of a first etching rate of the lower layer to a second etching rate of the upper layer is 1.0 or more and 5.0 or less in etching carried out by supplying a fluorine-containing substance onto a target portion and irradiating charged particles to the target portion. Another ratio satisfies the following formula CN??0.00526CMo2?0.640CMo+26.624.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi KOMINATO, Osamu NOZAWA, Hiroyuki IWASHITA, Masahiro HASHIMOTO
  • Patent number: 8865378
    Abstract: A photomask blank is for use in manufacturing a photomask to be applied with exposure light having a wavelength of 200 nm or less. The photomask blank has a light-transmitting substrate and a light-shielding film formed thereon. The light-shielding film has a light-shielding layer containing a transition metal and silicon and a front-surface antireflection layer formed contiguously on the light-shielding layer and made of a material containing at least one of oxygen and nitrogen. The light-shielding film has a front-surface reflectance of a predetermined value or less for the exposure light and has a property capable of controlling the change width of the front-surface reflectance at the exposure wavelength to be within 2% when the thickness of the front-surface antireflection layer changes in the range of 2 nm. The material of the front-surface antireflection layer having a refractive index n and an extinction coefficient k capable of achieving such property is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Iwashita, Atsushi Kominato, Masahiro Hashimoto, Hiroaki Shishido
  • Patent number: 8846274
    Abstract: The present invention is the mask blank includes a glass substrate and a thin film formed on a main surface of the glass substrate, the thin film includes a material containing tantalum and substantially no hydrogen, and the mask blank has a invasion suppressive film between the main surface of the glass substrate and the thin film which suppresses hydrogen from being invaded from the glass substrate into the thin film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Shishido, Osamu Nozawa, Atsushi Kominato
  • Patent number: 8822103
    Abstract: A mask blank for manufacturing a transfer mask adapted to be applied with ArF excimer laser exposure light that has a transparent substrate and a light-shielding film formed into a transfer pattern. The light-shielding film has at least two-layers, one a lower layer composed mainly of a first material containing a transition metal, silicon, and nitrogen, and the other an upper layer composed mainly of a second material containing a transition metal, silicon, and nitrogen. A ratio of a first etching rate of the lower layer to a second etching rate of the upper layer is 1.0 or more and 5.0 or less in etching carried out by supplying a fluorine-containing substance onto a target portion and irradiating charged particles to the target portion. Another ratio satisfies the following formula CN??0.00526CMo2?0.640CMo=26.624.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Kominato, Osamu Nozawa, Hiroyuki Iwashita, Masahiro Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8697315
    Abstract: A photomask blank which is capable of preventing static buildup caused by electron beam pattern drawing for forming a resist pattern. The photomask blank provides a good pattern accuracy through optimization of the dry etching rate along the depth direction of the shielding film, and is capable of reducing the dry etching time by increasing the dry etching rate of the shielding film. The photomask blank includes a translucent substrate having thereon a shielding film composed mainly of chromium and the shielding film contains hydrogen. The shielding film is formed in such a manner that the film formation rate of the layer at the surface side is lower than the film formation rate of the layer at the translucent substrate side of the shielding film. The dry etching rate of the shielding film is lower at the translucent substrate side than at the surface side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Takeyuki Yamada, Atsushi Kominato, Hiroyuki Iwashita, Masahiro Hashimoto, Yasushi Okubo
  • Publication number: 20140087292
    Abstract: Provided is a mask blank which enables EB defect correction to be suitably applied and which further enables a reduction in the thickness of a light-shielding film. A mask blank 10 is used for producing a transfer mask adapted to be applied with ArF exposure light and has a light-shielding film 2 on a transparent substrate 1. The light-shielding film 2 is composed mainly of a material containing a transition metal, silicon, and at least one or more elements selected from oxygen and nitrogen. An etching rate of the light-shielding film by a fluorine-containing substance in a state of not being irradiated with charged particles is low enough to at least ensure etching selectivity with respect to an etching rate of the light-shielding film by the fluorine-containing substance in a state of being irradiated with the charged particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro HASHIMOTO, Atsushi KOMINATO, Hiroyuki IWASHITA, Osamu NOZAWA
  • Publication number: 20140057199
    Abstract: A photomask blank for producing a photomask to which an ArF excimer laser light is applied. The blank includes a light transmissive substrate on which a thin film having a multilayer structure is provided. The thin film has a light-shielding film in which a back-surface antireflection layer, a light-shielding layer and a front-surface antireflection layer are laminated in this order. The light-shielding layer comprises chromium and nitrogen, and the chromium content is more than 50 atomic %. The front-surface antireflection layer and the back-surface antireflection layer each has an amorphous structure made of a material comprising chromium, nitrogen, oxygen and carbon. The chromium content ratio of the front-surface antireflection layer and the back-surface antireflection layer is 40 atomic % or less. A first sum of nitrogen content and oxygen content of the back-surface antireflection layer is less than a second sum of nitrogen content and oxygen content of the front-surface antireflection layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki IWASHITA, Hiroaki Shishido, Atsushi Kominato, Masahiro Hashimoto, Morio Hosoya
  • Publication number: 20140030641
    Abstract: A mask blank for use in the manufacture of a transfer mask adapted to be applied with ArF excimer laser exposure light is disclosed. The mask blank has, on a transparent substrate, a light-shielding film for forming a transfer pattern. The light-shielding film has an at least two-layer structure including a lower layer and an upper layer from the transparent substrate side. The lower layer is made of a material composed of a transition metal, silicon, and nitrogen and having a nitrogen content of 21 at % or more and a refractive index n of 1.9 or less. The upper layer is made of a material composed of a transition metal, silicon, and nitrogen and having a refractive index n of 2.1 or less. A surface layer of the upper layer contains oxygen and has a nitrogen content of 14 at % or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi KOMINATO, Masahiro Hashimoto, Hiroyuki Iwashita
  • Patent number: 8637213
    Abstract: Provided is a mask blank which enables EB defect correction to be suitably applied and which further enables a reduction in the thickness of a light-shielding film. A mask blank 10 is used for producing a transfer mask adapted to be applied with ArF exposure light and has a light-shielding film 2 on a transparent substrate 1. The light-shielding film 2 is composed mainly of a material containing a transition metal, silicon, and at least one or more elements selected from oxygen and nitrogen. An etching rate of the light-shielding film by a fluorine-containing substance in a state of not being irradiated with charged particles is low enough to at least ensure etching selectivity with respect to an etching rate of the light-shielding film by the fluorine-containing substance in a state of being irradiated with the charged particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Hashimoto, Atsushi Kominato, Hiroyuki Iwashita, Osamu Nozawa
  • Patent number: 8574793
    Abstract: A mask blank for use in the manufacture of a transfer mask adapted to be applied with ArF excimer laser exposure light is disclosed. The mask blank has, on a transparent substrate, a light-shielding film for forming a transfer pattern. The light-shielding film has an at least two-layer structure including a lower layer and an upper layer from the transparent substrate side. The lower layer is made of a material composed of a transition metal, silicon, and nitrogen and having a nitrogen content of 21 at % or more and a refractive index n of 1.9 or less. The upper layer is made of a material composed of a transition metal, silicon, and nitrogen and having a refractive index n of 2.1 or less. A surface layer of the upper layer contains oxygen and has a nitrogen content of 14 at % or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Kominato, Masahiro Hashimoto, Hiroyuki Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20130280646
    Abstract: A mask blank for use in the manufacture of a binary mask adapted to be applied with ArF excimer laser exposure light has, on a transparent substrate, a light-shielding film for forming a transfer pattern. The light-shielding film has a laminated structure of a lower layer and an upper layer and has an optical density of 2.8 or more for exposure light and a thickness of 45 nm or less. The lower layer is made of a material in which the total content of a transition metal and silicon is 90 at % or more, and has a thickness of 30 nm or more. The upper layer has a thickness of 3 nm or more and 6 nm or less. The phase difference between exposure light transmitted through the light-shielding film and exposure light transmitted in air for a distance equal to the thickness of the light-shielding film is 30 degrees or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2013
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi KOMINATO, Masahiro HASHIMOTO, Osamu NOZAWA
  • Publication number: 20130230795
    Abstract: A photomask blank is for use in manufacturing a photomask to be applied with exposure light having a wavelength of 200 nm or less. The photomask blank has a light-transmitting substrate and a light-shielding film formed thereon. The light-shielding film has a light-shielding layer containing a transition metal and silicon and a front-surface antireflection layer formed contiguously on the light-shielding layer and made of a material containing at least one of oxygen and nitrogen. The light-shielding film has a front-surface reflectance of a predetermined value or less for the exposure light and has a property capable of controlling the change width of the front-surface reflectance at the exposure wavelength to be within 2% when the thickness of the front-surface antireflection layer changes in the range of 2 nm. The material of the front-surface antireflection layer having a refractive index n and an extinction coefficient k capable of achieving such property is selected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Inventors: Hiroyuki IWASHITA, Atsushi KOMINATO, Masahiro HASHIMOTO, Hiroaki SHISHIDO
  • Patent number: 8512916
    Abstract: A photomask blank for producing a photomask to which an ArF excimer laser light is applied. The blank includes a light transmissive substrate on which a thin film having a multilayer structure is provided. The thin film has a light-shielding film in which a back-surface antireflection layer, a light-shielding layer and a front-surface antireflection layer are laminated in this order. The light-shielding layer comprises chromium and nitrogen, and the chromium content is more than 50 atomic %. The front-surface antireflection layer and the back-surface antireflection layer each has an amorphous structure made of a material comprising chromium, nitrogen, oxygen and carbon. The chromium content ratio of the front-surface antireflection layer and the back-surface antireflection layer is 40 atomic % or less. A first sum of nitrogen content and oxygen content of the back-surface antireflection layer is less than a second sum of nitrogen content and oxygen content of the front-surface antireflection layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Iwashita, Hiroaki Shishido, Atsushi Kominato, Masahiro Hashimoto, Morio Hosoya
  • Patent number: 8507155
    Abstract: A photomask blank for a photomask used with an ArF excimer laser. The photo mask has a light transmissive substrate with a surface on which a light-shielding film is formed. The light-shielding film has a laminated structure comprising a back-surface antireflection layer, a light-shielding layer and a front-surface antireflection layer. The thickness of the entire light-shielding film is 70 nm or less. The back-surface antireflection layer comprises a film containing a metal and having first etching rate. The front-surface antireflection layer comprises a film containing a metal and having a third etching rate. The light-shielding layer comprises a film containing the same metal as that contained in the back-surface antireflection layer or the front-surface antireflection layer, with a second etching rate that is lower than the first and third etching rates. The thickness of the light-shielding layer is 45% or less of the thickness of the entire light-shielding film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Iwashita, Hiroaki Shishido, Atsushi Kominato, Masahiro Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8501372
    Abstract: A mask blank for use in the manufacture of a binary mask adapted to be applied with ArF excimer laser exposure light has, on a transparent substrate, a light-shielding film for forming a transfer pattern. The light-shielding film has a laminated structure of a lower layer and an upper layer and has an optical density of 2.8 or more for exposure light and a thickness of 45 nm or less. The lower layer is made of a material in which the total content of a transition metal and silicon is 90 at % or more, and has a thickness of 30 nm or more. The upper layer has a thickness of 3 nm or more and 6 nm or less. The phase difference between exposure light transmitted through the light-shielding film and exposure light transmitted in air for a distance equal to the thickness of the light-shielding film is 30 degrees or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Kominato, Masahiro Hashimoto, Osamu Nozawa
  • Patent number: 8431290
    Abstract: A photomask blank is for use in manufacturing a photomask to be applied with exposure light having a wavelength of 200 nm or less. The photomask blank has a light-transmitting substrate and a light-shielding film formed thereon. The light-shielding film has a light-shielding layer containing a transition metal and silicon and a front-surface antireflection layer formed contiguously on the light-shielding layer and made of a material containing at least one of oxygen and nitrogen. The light-shielding film has a front-surface reflectance of a predetermined value or less for the exposure light and has a property capable of controlling the change width of the front-surface reflectance at the exposure wavelength to be within 2% when the thickness of the front-surface antireflection layer changes in the range of 2 nm. The material of the front-surface antireflection layer having a refractive index n and an extinction coefficient k capable of achieving such property is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Iwashita, Atsushi Kominato, Masahiro Hashimoto, Hiroaki Shishido
  • Patent number: 8404406
    Abstract: The present invention provides a photomask blank in which a light-shielding film consisting of a plurality of layers is provided on a light transmissive substrate, wherein a layer that is provided to be closest to the front surface is made of CrO, CrON, CrN, CrOC or CrOCN, and wherein the atom number density of the front-surface portion of the light-shielding film is 9×1022 to 14×1022 atms/cm3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Iwashita, Hiroaki Shishido, Atsushi Kominato, Masahiro Hashimoto