Abstract: This mask blank is provided with a light blocking film on a light transmitting substrate. The light blocking film has an optical density of 2.5 or more with respect to ArF excimer laser exposure light, and has a structure that comprises three or more multilayer structures, each of which is composed of a high nitride layer and a low nitride layer. The high nitride layer and the low nitride layer are formed from a material that is composed of silicon and nitrogen or a material that contains one or more elements selected from among semimetal elements and non-metal elements in addition to silicon and nitrogen. The high nitride layer has a nitrogen content of 50 atom % or more, and has a thickness of 10 nm or more. The low nitride layer has a nitrogen content of less than 50 atom %, and has a thickness that is not less than twice the thickness of the high nitride layer.

Abstract: To provide a phase-shift mask in which the reduction in thickness of a light-shielding film is provided when a transition metal silicide-based material is used for the light-shielding film and by which the problem of ArF light fastness can be solved; and a mask blank for manufacturing the phase-shift mask. A mask blank has a structure in which a phase-shift film, an etching stopper film, a light-shielding film, and a hard mask film are laminated in said order on a transparent substrate, and at least one layer in the light-shielding film is made of a material which contains transition metal and silicon, and satisfies the conditions of Formula (1) below: CN?9.0×10?6×RM4?1.65×10?4×RM3?7.718×10?2×RM2+3.611×RM?21.084 ??Formula (1) wherein RM is a ratio of the content of transition metal to the total content of transition metal and silicon in said one layer, and CN is the content of nitrogen in said one layer.

Abstract: A mask blank for a phase shift mask having a phase shift film on a transparent substrate. The phase shift film generates a phase difference of 150 degrees or more and 200 degrees or less and transmits exposure light of an ArF excimer laser at a transmittance of 10% or more. The film has a low transmitting layer and a high transmitting layer, stacked alternately to form a total of six or more layers from a side of the transparent substrate. The low transmitting layer is made of a material containing silicon and nitrogen and having a nitrogen content of 50 atom % or more. The high transmitting layer is made of a material containing silicon and oxygen and having an oxygen content of 50 atom % or more. The low transmitting layer has a thickness greater than that of the high transmitting layer, which has a thickness of 4 nm or less.

Abstract: Provided is a mask blank including a phase shift film on a transparent substrate. This phase shift film includes a phase shift layer at least containing a transition metal and silicon, and a silicon layer, which is configured to attenuate exposure light with which the phase shift layer is irradiated, and the silicon layer is formed to be in contact with the substrate side of the phase shift layer. This mask blank is used in manufacturing a phase shift mask to which laser exposure light having a wavelength of 200 nm or less is applied.

Abstract: In a mask blank having a structure in which a light-semitransmissive film and a light-shielding film are laminated on a main surface of a transparent substrate, the light-semitransmissive film is made of a material that can be dry-etched with an etching gas containing a fluorine-based gas, the light-shielding film is made of a material that contains tantalum and one or more elements selected from hafnium and zirconium and contains no oxygen except in a surface layer thereof, an etching stopper film is provided between the light-semitransmissive film and the light-shielding film, and the etching stopper film is made of a material that contains chromium with an oxygen content of 20 at % or less.

Abstract: A mask blank including a light shielding film pattern having high ArF light fastness. The light shielding film is on a transparent substrate. In the mask blank, the light shielding film is a single layer film formed of a material containing silicon and nitrogen, and the light shielding film has an optical density to an ArF excimer laser exposure light of 2.5 or more, a surface reflectance to the exposure light of 40% or less, a back-surface reflectance to the exposure light of 40% or less, a transmittance to a light having a wavelength of 900 nm of 50% or less, an extinction coefficient to a light having a wavelength of 900 nm of 0.04 or more, and a thickness of 60 nm or less.

Abstract: A mask blank, which is capable of being formed with high transfer accuracy when a hard mask film pattern is used as a mask, and even when the mask blank includes a chromium-based light shielding film. A light-semitransmissive film, a light shielding film, and a hard mask film are laminated in the stated order on a transparent substrate. The light-semitransmissive film contains silicon, and the hard mask film contains any one or both of silicon and tantalum. The light shielding film has a laminate structure of a lower layer and an upper layer, and contains chromium. The upper layer has a content of chromium of 65 at % or more, and a content of oxygen of less than 20 at %, and the lower layer has a content of chromium of less than 60 at %, and a content of oxygen of 20 at % or more.

Abstract: A mask blank having fast repair rate of EB defect repair and high repair rate ratio to EB defect repair relative to a transparent substrate that includes a phase shift film on a transparent substrate, the phase shift film has a structure including three sets or more of a set of a stacked structure including a high transmitting layer and a low transmitting layer, the high transmitting layer and the low transmitting layer are made of a material consisting of silicon and nitrogen, or a material consisting of silicon, nitrogen, oxygen, and one or more elements selected from a metalloid element and a non-metallic element, the high transmitting layer includes 50 atom % or more nitrogen content and has a thickness of 12 nm or less, and the low transmitting layer includes less than 50 atom % nitrogen content and has a thickness less than the high transmitting layer.

Abstract: Provided is a mask blank in which uniformity of the composition and optical characteristics of a phase-shift film in the in-plane direction and direction of film thickness is high, uniformity of the composition and optical characteristics of the phase-shift film between a plurality of substrates is also high, and defectivity is low even if a silicon-based material is applied to the material that forms the phase-shift film.

Abstract: A mask blank, which is capable of being formed with high transfer accuracy when a hard mask film pattern is used as a mask, and even when the mask blank includes a chromium-based light shielding film. A light-semitransmissive film, a light shielding film, and a hard mask film are laminated in the stated order on a transparent substrate. The light-semitransmissive film contains silicon, and the hard mask film contains any one or both of silicon and tantalum. The light shielding film has a laminate structure of a lower layer and an upper layer, and contains chromium. The upper layer has a content of chromium of 65 at % or more, and a content of oxygen of less than 20 at %, and the lower layer has a content of chromium of less than 60 at %, and a content of oxygen of 20 at % or more.

Abstract: A mask blank with phase shift film where changes in transmittance and phase shift to an exposure light of an ArF excimer laser are suppressed. The film transmits light of an ArF excimer laser at a transmittance of 2% or more and less than 10% and generates a phase difference of 150 degrees or more and 190 degrees or less between the exposure light transmitted through the phase shift film and the exposure light transmitted through the air for the same distance as a thickness of the phase shift film. The film has a stacked lower layer and upper layer, the lower layer containing metal and silicon and substantially free of oxygen. The upper layer containing metal, silicon, nitrogen, and oxygen. The lower layer is thinner than the upper layer, and the ratio of metal to metal and silicon of the upper layer is less than the lower layer.

Abstract: A mask blank having a light-shielding film containing chromium, oxygen, and carbon, and a hard mask film containing one or more of silicon and tantalum. The light shielding film and the hard mask film are provided in this order on a transparent substrate; the light shielding film being (1) a single layer film having a composition gradient portion with increased oxygen content on a surface at a side of the hard mask film and a region close thereto and (2) configured such that a maximum peak of N1s narrow spectrum obtained from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is less than or equal to lower detection limit. A portion of the light shielding film excluding the composition gradient portion has a chromium content of 50 atom % or more, and has a maximum peak of Cr2p narrow spectrum, obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, at binding energy of 574 eV or less.

Abstract: Provided is a mask blank with a phase shift film having a function to transmit ArF exposure light at a predetermined transmittance and a function to generate a predetermined phase difference to the transmitting ArF exposure light, and having high ArF light fastness. The phase shift film has a function to transmit ArF exposure light at 2% or more transmittance and a function to generate a phase difference of 150 degrees or more and 180 degrees or less to the transmitting ArF exposure light; a lower layer and an upper layer are stacked from a substrate side; the lower layer is formed from silicon or silicon containing one or more elements selected from nonmetallic elements other than oxygen and semimetal elements; the upper layer other than a surface layer is formed from silicon and nitrogen or a material consisting of silicon, nitrogen and one or more elements selected from nonmetallic elements excluding oxygen and semimetal elements; the lower layer has refractive index n of less than 1.

Abstract: Provided is a mask blank in which uniformity of the composition and optical characteristics of a phase-shift film in the in-plane direction and direction of film thickness is high, uniformity of the composition and optical characteristics of the phase-shift film between a plurality of substrates is also high, and defectivity is low even if a silicon-based material is applied to the material that forms the phase-shift film.

Abstract: A mask blank is provided, by which an alignment mark can be formed between a transparent substrate and a laminated structure of a light semitransmissive film, etching stopper film, and light shielding film during manufacture of a transfer mask.

Abstract: A mask blank with phase shift film where changes in transmittance and phase shift to an exposure light of an ArF excimer laser are suppressed. The film transmits light of an ArF excimer laser at a transmittance of 2% or more and less than 10% and generates a phase difference of 150 degrees or more and 190 degrees or less between the exposure light transmitted through the phase shift film and the exposure light transmitted through the air for the same distance as a thickness of the phase shift film. The film has a stacked lower layer and upper layer, the lower layer containing metal and silicon and substantially free of oxygen. The upper layer containing metal, silicon, nitrogen, and oxygen. The lower layer is thinner than the upper layer, and the ratio of metal to metal and silicon of the upper layer is less than the lower layer.

Abstract: A mask blank having a resist layer, which enables charge-up to be suppressed during electron beam irradiation. The mask blank having a resist layer includes a substrate having a thin film, a resist layer formed on a surface of the thin film, and a conductive layer formed on the resist layer. The conductive layer includes a first metal layer containing aluminum as a main component thereof and a second metal layer made of a metal other than aluminum. The first metal layer is formed on the resist layer side of the second metal layer.

Abstract: Provided is a mask blank with a phase shift film having a function to transmit ArF exposure light at a predetermined transmittance and a function to generate a predetermined phase difference to the transmitting ArF exposure light, and having high ArF light fastness. The phase shift film has a function to transmit ArF exposure light at 2% or more transmittance and a function to generate a phase difference of 150 degrees or more and 180 degrees or less to the transmitting ArF exposure light; a lower layer and an upper layer are stacked from a substrate side; the lower layer is formed from silicon or silicon containing one or more elements selected from nonmetallic elements other than oxygen and semimetal elements; the upper layer other than a surface layer is formed from silicon and nitrogen or a material consisting of silicon, nitrogen and one or more elements selected from nonmetallic elements excluding oxygen and semimetal elements; the lower layer has refractive index n of less than 1.

Abstract: The mask blank (100) in which a phase shift film (2) made of a material containing silicon, a light shielding film (3) made of a material containing chromium, oxygen, and carbon, and a hard mask film (4) made of a material containing one or more elements selected from silicon and tantalum are provided in this order on a transparent substrate (1) is characterized in that the light shielding film (3) is a single layer film having a composition gradient portion with an increased oxygen content at a surface on the hard mask film (4) side and in a region close thereto, the light shielding film (3) has a maximum peak of N1s narrow spectrum obtained by analysis of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of lower detection limit or less, and a part of the light shielding film (3) excluding the composition gradient portion has a chromium content of 50 atom % or more and has a maximum peak of Cr2p narrow spectrum obtained by analysis of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at binding energy of 574 eV or less.

Abstract: A mask blank is provided, by which an alignment mark can be formed between a transparent substrate and a laminated structure of a light semitransmissive film, etching stopper film, and light shielding film during manufacture of a transfer mask.