Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes an exposure step conducted by using a reticle. The method includes the steps of exposing a first pattern on a wafer by using a first reticle having a first reticle error, and exposing a second pattern on the wafer in alignment with the first pattern by using a second reticle having a second error, wherein the step of exposing the second pattern uses a reticle having a reticle error that satisfies a requirement of critical alignment error as the second reticle, the critical alignment error being determined from a design rule applied to the wafer, the critical alignment error being further determined with reference to the first reticle error of the first reticle.

Abstract: A reticle manufacturing method comprises a step of retreating side surfaces of a lift-off pattern to reduce an area of a wide pattern portion, a step of forming a wide convex pattern and a narrow convex pattern by etching a glass substrate (transparent substrate) while using a second mask pattern as a mask, a step of reducing an area of a first wide mask portion, a step of reducing at least an area of a second wide mask portion smaller than an area of the first wide mask portion, and a step of reducing an area of a wide light shielding portion by etching the wide light shielding portion while using the first wide mask portion as a mask.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes an exposure step conducted by using a reticle. The method includes the steps of exposing a first pattern on a wafer by using a first reticle having a first reticle error, and exposing a second pattern on the wafer in alignment with the first pattern by using a second reticle having a second error, wherein the step of exposing the second pattern uses a reticle having a reticle error that satisfies a requirement of critical alignment error as the second reticle, the critical alignment error being determined from a design rule applied to the wafer, the critical alignment error being further determined with reference to the first reticle error of the first reticle.

Abstract: A reticle manufacturing method comprises a step of retreating side surfaces of a lift-off pattern to reduce an area of a wide pattern portion, a step of forming a wide convex pattern and a narrow convex pattern by etching a glass substrate (transparent substrate) while using a second mask pattern as a mask, a step of reducing an area of a first wide mask portion, a step of reducing at least an area of a second wide mask portion smaller than an area of the first wide mask portion, and a step of reducing an area of a wide light shielding portion by etching the wide light shielding portion while using the first wide mask portion as a mask.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device comprises the steps of defining a plurality of regions on a substrate, exposing a first pattern that extends over a plurality of such regions such that the first pattern is exposed on the plurality of regions simultaneously, and exposing a plurality of second patterns that are identical in size and shape and isolated from each other, consecutively for each of the plurality of regions.

Abstract: A method for preventing contamination caused by residues of etched off patterns etched by photolithographic etching. A considerable amount of small contamination spots on a semiconductor chip are found to be caused by tiny residues of etched off patterns. These residues are formed primarily around the periphery of device areas and mark patterns when their outsides are etched off. The occurence of such residues of etching is increased by anisotropic etching. These residues are dislodged by succeeding steps of the pattern making process, and disperse over the substrate causing small contamination spots. To avoid the detrimental effects of the etching residues, the edges of the mark patterns and device areas are covered with an edge cover which is formed in a step to following the pattern etching process.