Abstract: In accordance with a phase shift mask of attenuation type and a manufacturing method thereof, at a prescribed region of a phase shifter portion near and around a light transmitting portion, an auxiliary pattern is provided for controlling an amount of exposure light onto a portion of an exposed material corresponding to this region. Auxiliary pattern enables to cancel light intensity of a side lobe, thereby preventing generation of a region having a high light intensity (a side lobe) at the periphery of the light transmitting portion of the phase shift mask of attenuation type.

Abstract: A method of monitoring the accuracy with which patterns are written includes the steps of: disposing in an exposure zone a monitor pattern zone for monitoring accuracy; partitioning the monitor pattern zone into a plurality of fields so that the fields overlap each other; forming checking patterns where the plurality of fields overlap each other; and measuring an alignment accuracy in the checking patterns by exposing the plurality of fields to an electron beam and inspecting the exposed field.