Abstract: A sensor chip breaking strength inspection apparatus that performs sensor chip breaking strength inspection on a semiconductor wafer on which a plurality of sensor chips having a diaphragm portion are disposed includes: a stage on which the semiconductor wafer is mounted; and a nozzle that emits a medium onto the sensor chips at a pressure equivalent to a standard breaking strength of the sensor chips.

Abstract: A sensor chip breaking strength inspection apparatus that performs sensor chip breaking strength inspection on a semiconductor wafer on which a plurality of sensor chips having a diaphragm portion are disposed includes: a stage on which the semiconductor wafer is mounted; and a nozzle that emits a medium onto the sensor chips at a pressure equivalent to a standard breaking strength of the sensor chips.

Abstract: In an x-ray absorber in accordance with the present invention, reduced transmittance of the x-ray absorber is suppressed while phase shift amount in the vicinity of ?-radians is achieved. For this purpose, a material is used that has a high transmittance per film thickness and contains an element with a high phase shift amount and an element with a low transmittance, as a material composition that forms the x-ray absorber. In other words, the transmittance of the x-ray absorber is mainly determined by the element with a low transmittance, and phase shift falling short of ?-radians is compensated with the element with a high transmittance and a high phase shift.

Abstract: In the x-ray absorber in accordance with the present invention, reduced transmittance of the x-ray absorber is suppressed while the phase shift amount is provided in the vicinity of −&pgr; radian. For this purpose, it is characterized in that such a material is used that has a high transmittance per film thickness and contains an element with a high phase shift amount and an element with a low transmittance, as a material composition that forms the x-ray absorber. In other words, the transmittance of the x-ray absorber is mainly determined by the element with a low transmittance, and the phase shift amount falling short of −&pgr; radian is compensated with the element with a high transmittance and a high phase shift amount.

Abstract: An X-ray absorber is deposited on a membrane. A stress adjust step is applied so that the average film stress of the X-ray absorber is 0. After patterning the X-ray absorber, the position accuracy of the pattern is measured. Then, a stress adjust process is applied to the patterned X-ray mask. Accordingly, a stress adjustment method is used to acquire an X-ray mask that has no pattern position offset of the X-ray absorber.

Abstract: An X-ray mask which is provided with an alignment mark and a transfer circuit pattern having a high position accuracy can be manufactured through a simplified manufacturing process. A membrane allowing passage of X-rays is formed on a substrate. A X-ray absorber intercepting transmission of X-rays is formed on the membrane. The substrate includes a window exposing the membrane. The X-ray absorber includes a transfer circuit pattern and an alignment mark formed in a region not overlapping with the window in a plan view.

Abstract: A thin film forming apparatus using laser includes a chamber (1), a target (5) placed therein, a laser light source (10) for emitting laser beam to target (5), and a substrate holder (3). When target (5) is irradiated with laser beam (16), a plume (15) is generated, and materials included in plume (15) are deposited on the surface of a substrate (2) held by substrate holder (3). The laser beam emitted from laser light source (10) has its cross section shaped to a desired shape when passed through a shielding plate (4804), for example, so that the surface of the target (5) is irradiated with the beam having uniform light intensity distribution. Therefore, a plume (15) having uniform density distribution of active particles is generated, and therefore a thin film of high quality can be formed over a wide area with uniform film quality, without damaging the substrate.

Abstract: The X-ray mask manufactured according to the present invention can solve a problem that the thin film stress of the X-ray absorber cannot be made to be zero although the mean thin film stress throughout the X-ray absorber can be made to be zero. The thin film stress distribution over the X-ray absorber 4 after the X-ray absorber 4 has been formed on a silicon substrate 1 is measured, and then inputs of electric power to heaters 9a, 9b and 9c of a hot plate 8 are changed so as to heat the X-ray absorber 4 to temperatures according to a specified temperature distribution with which the thin film stress throughout the X-ray absorber can be made to be zero.

Abstract: An antireflection film formed on a membrane of an X-ray mask has an amorphous structure. A patterned X-ray absorber intercepting transmission of X-rays is formed to be in contact with the front surface of the antireflection film. Thus, an X-ray mask having excellent pattern positional accuracy and a method of fabricating the same are obtained.

Abstract: A film-forming method and an apparatus for a X-ray mask and a film-forming apparatus which are able to diminish stress unevenness in the X-ray mask to zero when a X-ray absorber is formed on a mask substrate by sputtering a target 3 during rotation of the mask substrate. Firstly, a dummy mask substrate is prepared instead of a mask substrate. A dummy X-ray absorber 6 is formed on this dummy X-ray substrate 5 within a sputtering range. Secondly, a stress distribution is measured at every position along a straight line passing through a center of the dummy X-ray absorber 6 and then a desirable stress distribution range X is selected at such a location so as to have a good linear characteristic in a portion of a compressive stress curve which decreases toward an outer periphery of the dummy X-ray absorber 6 in the stress distribution.

Abstract: The X-ray mask manufactured according to the present invention can solve a problem that the thin film stress of the X-ray absorber cannot be made to be zero although the mean thin film stress throughout the X-ray absorber can be made to be zero. The thin film stress distribution over the X-ray absorber 4 after the X-ray absorber 4 has been formed on a silicon substrate 1 is measured, and then inputs of electric power to heaters 9a, 9b and 9c of a hot plate 8 are changed so as to heat the X-ray absorber 4 to temperatures according to a specified temperature distribution with which the thin film stress throughout the X-ray absorber can be made to be zero.

Abstract: A method of making a X-ray mask including: a step of forming a X-ray absorber above a substrate; a step of controlling a stress of the X-ray absorber by a predetermined condition; and wherein the predetermined condition for controlling the stress of the X-ray absorber formed above the substrate is determined by a measured value of a stress of a X-ray absorber formed on a monitor substrate.

Abstract: In order to provide an X-ray absorber low in the internal stress and suitable for forming a high accurate pattern and its fabrication method, an X-ray absorber for an X-ray mask is intended to contain tungsten and nitrogen, or tungsten, titanium and nitrogen, and to have an amorphous structure.