Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Shishido

Hiroaki Shishido 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: 20180252995
    Abstract: According to the present invention, provided is a mask blank (10), in which; a light shielding film (4) has a single layer structure or a laminate structure of a plurality of layers; at least one layer of the light shielding film (4) is formed of a material which contains a transition metal and silicon and is free from nitrogen and oxygen, or a material which contains a transition metal, silicon, and nitrogen and satisfies a condition of the following expression (1); a phase shift film (2) has a surface layer and a layer other than the surface layer; and the layer other than the surface layer is formed of a material which contains a transition metal, silicon, nitrogen, and oxygen, has a content of oxygen of 3 atom % or more, and satisfies a condition of the following expression (A). CN?9.0×10?6×RM4?1.65×10?4×RM3?7.718×10?2×RM2+3.611×RM?21.084 ??Expression (1) 0.04×AS?0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi MATSUMOTO, Hiroaki SHISHIDO, Takashi UCHIDA
  • Publication number: 20180210331
    Abstract: An object is to provide a mask blank for manufacturing a phase shift mask in which a thermal expansion of a phase shift pattern, which is caused when exposure light is radiated onto the phase shift pattern, and displacement of the phase shift pattern are suppressed to be small. A phase shift film has a function of transmitting exposure light from an ArF excimer laser at a transmittance of 2% or higher and 30% or lower and a function of generating a phase difference of 150° or larger and 180° or smaller between the exposure light that has been transmitted through the phase shift film and the exposure light that has passed through air by a distance equal to a thickness of the phase shift film. The phase shift film is formed of a material containing a metal and silicon, and has a structure in which a lower layer and an upper layer are laminated in the stated order from a transparent substrate side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takenori KAJIWARA, Hiroaki SHISHIDO, Osamu NOZAWA
  • Publication number: 20180180987
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi MATSUMOTO, Hiroaki SHISHIDO, Takashi UCHIDA
  • Publication number: 20180149961
    Abstract: A mask blank with a phase shift film and a light shielding film, laminated on a transparent substrate. The phase shift film transmits ArF exposure light at a transmittance (?) 2%???30% and generates a phase difference (??) of 150°????200°, and is formed from a material containing Si and not substantially containing Cr, and has a lower layer (L) and an upper layer (U) laminated from the transparent substrate side. A refractive index n for layer L is below the transparent substrate while n for layer U is higher, and the layer L has an extinction coefficient k higher than layer U. The light shielding film includes a layer in contact with the phase shift film that is formed from a material containing Cr, has a n lower than layer U, and has an extinction coefficient k higher than layer U.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu NOZAWA, Takenori KAJIWARA, Hiroaki SHISHIDO
  • Publication number: 20180143528
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu NOZAWA, Hiroaki SHISHIDO, Takenori KAJIWARA
  • Publication number: 20180129130
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki SHISHIDO, Osamu NOZAWA
  • Patent number: 9939723
    Abstract: A mask blank having a structure in which, on a transparent substrate, a phase shift film, a light shielding film, and a hard mask film are laminated in the stated order from the transparent substrate side. The phase shift film is formed of a material containing silicon, the hard mask film is formed of a material containing at least one element selected from silicon and tantalum, and the light shielding film is formed of a material containing chromium. The mask blank has a structure in which the following three layers: a lower layer, an intermediate layer, and an upper layer are laminated, the upper layer having a highest content of chromium in the light shielding film, the intermediate layer having a lowest content of chromium in the light shielding film, and containing at least one metallic element selected from indium, tin, and molybdenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki Shishido, Osamu Nozawa, Takashi Uchida
  • Patent number: 9933698
    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 10 comprises a phase-shift film 2 and a light-shielding film 4 on a transparent substrate 1, the phase-shift film 2 is made of a material with ArF light fastness, and at least one layer in the light-shielding film 4 is made of a material which contains transition metal, silicon, and nitrogen, 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Matsumoto, Hiroaki Shishido, Takashi Uchida
  • Publication number: 20180052387
    Abstract: A mask blank is provided, which makes it possible to form a fine transfer pattern in a light-semitransmissive film with high accuracy even if the light-semitransmissive film is made of a material containing silicon and a light shielding film is made of a material containing chromium. The mask blank 100 has a structure in which the light-semitransmissive film 2, etching mask film 3, and light shielding film 4 are laminated in this order on the transparent substrate 1. It is featured in that the light-semitransmissive film 2 is made of the material containing silicon, the etching mask film 3 is made of the material containing chromium, the light shielding film 4 is made of a material containing chromium and oxygen, and a ratio of the etching rate of the light shielding film 4 to the etching rate of the etching mask film 3 in the dry etching with an oxygen-containing chlorine-based gas is not less than 3 and not more than 12.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2015
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu NOZAWA, Hiroaki SHISHIDO, Ryo OHKUBO
  • Patent number: 9864268
    Abstract: In order to form a fine mask pattern with high accuracy, in a mask blank in which 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 containing silicon and additionally nitrogen, the hard mask film containing silicon or tantalum, and additionally oxygen, the light shielding film having the laminate structure of a lower layer, an intermediate layer, and an upper layer and containing chromium, conditions on the light shielding film are adjusted so that etching rates using a mixture gas of chlorine and oxygen are the lowest for the upper layer and the next lowest for the lower layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki Shishido, Osamu Nozawa
  • Publication number: 20170285458
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki SHISHIDO, Osamu NOZAWA, Takenori KAJIWARA
  • Patent number: 9726972
    Abstract: A mask blank wherein damage to a light semitransmissive film due to dry etching for removing a light shielding film is inhibited. Mask blank 100 has a light semitransmissive film 2 and light shielding film 4 laminated on a main surface of a transparent substrate 1. Film 2 can be dry etched with a fluorine-based gas. Film 4 has laminated lower layer 41 and upper layer 42. Lower layer 41 contained tantalum and id substantially free from hafnium, zirconium, and oxygen. Upper layer 42 contains tantalum and one or more of hafnium and zirconium and is substantially free from oxygen excluding the surface layer of the upper layer 42. Between the light semitransmissive film 2 and lower layer 41 is an etching stopper film 3 having etch selectivity with respect to the lower layer 41 in dry etching with an etching gas containing the chlorine-based gas and no oxygen gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki Shishido, Ryo Ohkubo, Osamu Nozawa
  • Publication number: 20170176848
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki SHISHIDO, Kazuya SAKAI
  • Publication number: 20170168384
    Abstract: In order to form a fine mask pattern with high accuracy, in a mask blank in which 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 containing silicon and additionally nitrogen, the hard mask film containing silicon or tantalum, and additionally oxygen, the light shielding film having the laminate structure of a lower layer, an intermediate layer, and an upper layer and containing chromium, conditions on the light shielding film are adjusted so that etching rates using a mixture gas of chlorine and oxygen are the lowest for the upper layer and the next lowest for the lower layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki SHISHIDO, Osamu NOZAWA
  • Patent number: 9664997
    Abstract: Methods of manufacturing a mask blank and a transfer mask that reduce internal stress of a thin film. The methods include preparing a transparent substrate having a pair of opposing main surfaces and composed of a glass material having a hydrogen content of less than 7.4×1018 molecules/cm3, forming a thin film composed of a material containing silicon or metal on one of the main surfaces of the transparent substrate, and carrying out heating treatment or photo irradiation treatment on the transparent substrate with the thin film. The absolute value of a variation of flatness in a predetermined region, as calculated based on a difference in shape obtained from a shape of a main surface of the transparent substrate prior to forming the thin film and a shape of a main surface of the substrate exposed after removing the thin film, is not more than 100 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Kominato, Hiroaki Shishido, Osamu Nozawa
  • Publication number: 20170139316
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki SHISHIDO, Osamu NOZAWA
  • Patent number: 9625806
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Nozawa, Hiroaki Shishido, Kazuya Sakai
  • Patent number: 9625807
    Abstract: Provided are a mask blank for which worsening of flatness has been inhibited, a transfer mask, a method of manufacturing a mask blank, a method of manufacturing a transfer mask, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using this transfer mask. The mask blank is a mask blank provided with a thin film on a main surface of a glass substrate, wherein the glass substrate has a hydrogen content of less than 7.4×1018 molecules/cm3, the thin film is made of a material containing tantalum and being substantially free of hydrogen, and the thin film is formed in contact with the main surface of the glass substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki Shishido, Atsushi Kominato, Osamu Nozawa, Toshiharu Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20170075210
    Abstract: A mask blank having a structure in which, on a transparent substrate, a phase shift film, a light shielding film, and a hard mask film are laminated in the stated order from the transparent substrate side. The phase shift film is formed of a material containing silicon, the hard mask film is formed of a material containing at least one element selected from silicon and tantalum, and the light shielding film is formed of a material containing chromium. The mask blank has a structure in which the following three layers: a lower layer, an intermediate layer, and an upper layer are laminated, the upper layer having a highest content of chromium in the light shielding film, the intermediate layer having a lowest content of chromium in the light shielding film, and containing at least one metallic element selected from indium, tin, and molybdenum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki SHISHIDO, Osamu NOZAWA, Takashi UCHIDA
  • Publication number: 20170068155
    Abstract: A mask blank having a structure in which, on a transparent substrate, a light shielding film and a hard mask film are laminated in the stated order from the transparent substrate side. The hard mask film is formed of a material containing at least one element selected from silicon and tantalum, and the light shielding film is formed of a material containing chromium. The mask blank has a structure of three layers wherein a lower layer, an intermediate layer, and an upper layer are laminated in the stated order from the transparent substrate side. The upper layer has a lowest content of chromium in the light shielding film, the intermediate layer has a highest content of chromium in the light shielding film. It contains at least one metallic element selected from indium, tin, and molybdenum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki SHISHIDO, Osamu NOZAWA, Takashi UCHIDA