Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for fabricating lithography masks, which include a first level process comprising lithography and etching to form mask frame and in-die areas, and a second level process comprising lithography and etching to form one or more mask features in the in-die area. At least one of the mask features has a smallest dimension in the nanometer range (e.g., 32 nm technology node, or smaller). The techniques may be embodied, for example, in a lithography mask for fabricating semiconductor circuits. In one such example case, the mask includes a frame area and an in-die area formed after the frame area. The in-die area includes one or more mask features, at least one of which has a smallest dimension of less than 100 nm. The mask has a critical dimension bias of less than 20 nm and a structure that comprises a substrate and an absorber layer.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for fabricating lithography masks, which include a first level process comprising lithography and etching to form mask frame and in-die areas, and a second level process comprising lithography and etching to form one or more mask features in the in-die area. At least one of the mask features has a smallest dimension in the nanometer range (e.g., 32 nm technology node, or smaller). The techniques may be embodied, for example, in a lithography mask for fabricating semiconductor circuits. In one such example case, the mask includes a frame area and an in-die area formed after the frame area. The in-die area includes one or more mask features, at least one of which has a smallest dimension of less than 100 nm. The mask has a critical dimension bias of less than 20 nm and a structure that comprises a substrate and an absorber layer.

Abstract: A phase shift photomask blank has a quartz substrate, a lower chrome layer, a light-absorbing MoSi layer, and an upper chrome layer. This mask can be patterned in various ways to form a patterned photomask with both phase shift and binary areas.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system to measure changes and a dual damascene trench depth, comprises a power source, and impedance matching network coupled to the power source and to an electrode, a radio frequency sensor coupled to the impedance matching network, and a controller to establish a baseline correlation between a plasma impedance and the dual damascene trench depth, and use the baseline correlation to measure changes in the dual damascene trench depth.