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).

  • Publication number: 20130059236
    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: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki SHISHIDO, Osamu NOZAWA, Atsushi KOMINATO
  • Patent number: 8329364
    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: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Iwashita, Hiroaki Shishido, Atsushi Kominato, Masahiro Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8323858
    Abstract: A photomask blank has a light shieldable film formed on a light transmitting substrate. The light shieldable film has a light shielding layer which is formed of molybdenum silicide metal containing molybdenum in a content greater than 20 atomic % and not greater than 40 atomic % and which has a thickness smaller than 40 nm, an antireflection layer formed on the light shielding layer in contact with the light shielding layer and formed of a molybdenum silicide compound containing at least one of oxygen and nitrogen, and a low reflection layer formed under the light shielding layer in contact with the light shielding layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Hashimoto, Hiroyuki Iwashita, Atsushi Kominato
  • Patent number: 8304147
    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 back-surface antireflection layer, a light-shielding layer and a front-surface antireflection 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 back-surface antireflection layer is made of a film containing a metal and has a first etching rate; the front-surface antireflection layer is made of a film containing a metal and has a third etching rate; the light-shielding layer is made of a film containing the same metal as that contained in the back-surface antireflection layer or the front-surface antireflection layer and has a second etching rate that is lower than the first etching rate and the third etching rate; and the thickness of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Iwashita, Hiroaki Shishido, Atsushi Kominato, Masahiro Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20120189946
    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: July 14, 2010
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Hashimoto, Atsushi Kominato, Hiroyuki Iwashita, Osamu Nozawa
  • Publication number: 20120156596
    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: December 15, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi KOMINATO, Masahiro HASHIMOTO, Hiroyuki IWASHITA
  • Publication number: 20120129084
    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: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeyuki Yamada, Atsushi Kominato, Hiroyuki Iwashita, Masahiro Hashimoto, Yasushi Okubo
  • Publication number: 20120115075
    Abstract: A mask blank for use in the manufacture of a transfer mask adapted to be applied with ArF exposure light is disclosed. The mask blank has a light-shielding film on a transparent substrate. The light-shielding film has an at least two-layer structure comprising a lower layer composed mainly of a material containing a transition metal, silicon, and nitrogen and an upper layer composed mainly of a material containing a transition metal, silicon, and nitrogen. The ratio of the etching rate of the lower layer to that of the upper layer is 1.0 or more and 5.0 or less in etching which is carried out by supplying a fluorine-containing substance to a target portion and irradiating charged particles to the target portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi KOMINATO, Osamu NOZAWA, Hiroyuki IWASHITA, Masahiro HASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20120100470
    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 has an at least two-layer structure comprising a lower layer composed mainly of a material containing a transition metal, silicon, and at least one or more elements selected from oxygen and nitrogen and an upper layer composed mainly of a material containing a transition metal, silicon, and at least one or more elements selected from oxygen and nitrogen. The ratio of the etching rate of the lower layer to that of the upper layer is 1.0 or more and 20.0 or less in etching which is carried out by supplying a fluorine-containing substance to a target portion and irradiating charged particles to the target portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Nozawa, Hiroyuki Iwashita, Masahiro Hashimoto, Atsushi Kominato
  • Publication number: 20120082924
    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: September 29, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Kominato, Masahiro Hashimoto, Osamu Nozawa
  • Patent number: 8114556
    Abstract: There are provided a photomask blank which is capable of preventing static buildup caused by electron beam pattern drawing for forming a resist pattern, a photomask blank which provides a good pattern accuracy through optimization of the dry etching rate along the depth direction of the shielding film, and a photomask blank which is capable of reducing the dry etching time by increasing the dry etching rate of the shielding film. The photomask blank of the present invention 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: September 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Takeyuki Yamada, Atsushi Kominato, Hiroyuki Iwashita, Masahiro Hashimoto, Yasushi Okubo
  • Publication number: 20110318674
    Abstract: A photomask blank has a light shieldable film formed on a light transmitting substrate. The light shieldable film has a light shielding layer which is formed of molybdenum silicide metal containing molybdenum in a content greater than 20 atomic % and not greater than 40 atomic % and which has a thickness smaller than 40 nm, an antireflection layer formed on the light shielding layer in contact with the light shielding layer and formed of a molybdenum silicide compound containing at least one of oxygen and nitrogen, and a low reflection layer formed under the light shielding layer in contact with the light shielding layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro HASHIMOTO, Hiroyuki IWASHITA, Atsushi KOMINATO
  • Publication number: 20110305978
    Abstract: The present invention provides a photomask blank for producing a photomask to which an ArF excimer laser light is applied, wherein: a thin film having a multilayer structure is provided on a light transmissive substrate; and the uppermost layer of the thin film has an amorphous structure made of a material comprising chromium and at least one of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Iwashita, Hiroaki Shishido, Atsushi Kominato, Masahiro Hashimoto, Morio Hosoya
  • Patent number: 8043771
    Abstract: Disclosed is a phase shift mask blank (11) that can prevent the occurrence of a loading effect. The phase shift mask blank (11) includes a phase shift film (5) containing silicon, a light-shielding film (2) made of a material resistant to etching of the phase shift film (5), and an etching mask film (3) made of an inorganic material resistant to etching of the light-shielding film (2), which are formed in this order on a substrate (1) transparent to exposure light. Assuming that the thickness of the phase shift film (5) is t1, the etching rate of the phase shift film (5) by dry etching with an etchant using the etching mask film (3) and the light-shielding film (2) as a mask is v1, the thickness of the etching mask film (3) is t2, and the etching rate of the etching mask film (3) by dry etching with the above etchant is v2, (t1/v1)?(t2/v2) is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Kominato, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Yasushi Okubo
  • Patent number: 8029948
    Abstract: A photomask blank has a light shieldable film formed on a light transmitting substrate. The light shieldable film has a light shielding layer which is formed of molybdenum silicide metal containing molybdenum in a content greater than 20 atomic % and not greater than 40 atomic % and which has a thickness smaller than 40 nm, an antireflection layer formed on the light shielding layer in contact with the light shielding layer and formed of a molybdenum silicide compound containing at least one of oxygen and nitrogen, and a low reflection layer formed under the light shielding layer in contact with the light shielding layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Hashimoto, Hiroyuki Iwashita, Atsushi Kominato
  • Publication number: 20110229807
    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: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Hashimoto, Atsushi Kominato
  • Publication number: 20110212392
    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: October 27, 2009
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Iwashita, Atsushi Kominato, Masahiro Hashimoto, Hiroaki Shishido
  • Publication number: 20110111332
    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: June 25, 2009
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Iwashita, Hiroaki Shishido, Atsushi Kominato, Masahiro Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20110104592
    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 back-surface antireflection layer, a light-shielding layer and a front-surface antireflection 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 back-surface antireflection layer is made of a film containing a metal and has a first etching rate; the front-surface antireflection layer is made of a film containing a metal and has a third etching rate; the light-shielding layer is made of a film containing the same metal as that contained in the back-surface antireflection layer or the front-surface antireflection layer and has a second etching rate that is lower than the first etching rate and the third etching rate; and the thickness of
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Iwashita, Hiroaki Shishido, Atsushi Kominato, Masahiro Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20110081605
    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: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Iwashita, Hiroaki Shishido, Atsushi Kominato, Masahiro Hashimoto