Abstract: The invention provides a gradated photomask for reducing photolithography steps and its fabrication process, which make use of a generally available photomask blank, prevents the reflectance of a light shield film from growing high, makes alignment easy during the formation of a semitransparent film, and enables the semi-transparent film on a light shield pattern with good step coverage.

Abstract: The invention provides a gradated photomask for reducing photolithography steps and its fabrication process, which make use of a generally available photomask blank, prevents the reflectance of a light shield film from growing high, makes alignment easy during the formation of a semitransparent film, and enables the semitransparent film on a light shield pattern with good step coverage.

Abstract: Disclosed is a blank for a halftone phase shift photomask comprising a transparent substrate and a halftone phase shift layer formed thereon, the halftone phase shift layer being provided with a layer containing molybdenum silicide as its major component and either one or both of oxygen and nitrogen and being formed of a multilayer film with two or more layers, wherein the multilayer film contains a layer whose major component is either one of chromium and tantalum or a chromium tantalum alloy and the layer whose major component is either one of chromium and tantalum or a chromium tantalum alloy is laminated on the side closer to the transparent substrate than the layer containing molybdenum silicide as its major component and either one or both of oxygen and nitrogen.

Abstract: In a halftone phase shifting photomask 108, having a pattern of halftone phase shifting film 102 containing at least chromium and fluorine, the halftone phase shifting film is heat-treated at a temperature between 250° C. and 500° C. so that a change of the optical property of the film produced by the application of excimer laser for exposure to the film is decreased.

Abstract: The invention relates to a halftone phase shift photomask which is controlled with precision in terms of its transmittance at a wavelength applied to inspection, and measuring equipment, so that its quality can easily be assured even when its phase difference at an exposure wavelength is controlled at 180° C. with precision and its transmittance is set at 1 to 20% as desired at that wavelength. The halftone phase shift photomask (107) comprises on a transparent substrate (101) and a halftone phase shift film containing at least tantalum, oxygen, carbon and nitrogen, and has a multilayer structure comprising at least two or more different layers (102) and (103).

Abstract: A photomask is produced which enables the simplification of the steps of lithography. A photomask is provided with shielding patterns made of shielding metallic thin film on a transparent substrate, wherein the photomask further comprises translucent patterns mainly including tantalum of materials selected from tantalum silicide, tantalum oxide, tantalum nitride or mixture thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed is a blank for a halftone phase shift photomask comprising a transparent substrate and a halftone phase shift layer formed thereon, the halftone phase shift layer being provided with a layer containing molybdenum silicide as its major component and either one or both of oxygen and nitrogen and being formed of a multilayer film with two or more layers, wherein the multilayer film contains a layer whose major component is either one of chromium and tantalum or a chromium tantalum alloy and the layer whose major component is either one of chromium and tantalum or a chromium tantalum alloy is laminated on the side closer to the transparent substrate than the layer containing molybdenum silicide as its major component and either one or both of oxygen and nitrogen.

Abstract: A blank for halftone phase shift photomask is disclosed. The blank has a transparent substrate, a halftone phase shift layer and a light shielding film, the halftone phase shift layer and the light shielding film being layered in this order on the transparent substrate, and the l light shielding film is a single layered or multiple layered film which has a layer of tantalum.

Abstract: A blank for a halftone phase shift photomask in the present invention comprises a transparent substrate and a halftone phase shift film provided thereon, and said halftone phase shift film has a multilayer construction in which at least a first layer capable of being etched with a chlorinated gas and a second layer capable of being etched with a fluorinated gas are disposed in this order from the side near said transparent substrate. A film made of tantalum silicides is suitable to use as the second layer of the halftone phase shift film.

Abstract: A photomask is produced which enables the simplification of the steps of lithography. A photomask is provided with shielding patterns made of shielding metallic thin film on a transparent substrate, wherein the photomask further comprises translucent patterns mainly including tantalum of materials selected from tantalum silicide, tantalum oxide, tantalum nitride or mixture thereof.

Abstract: A blank for halftone phase shift photomask is disclosed. The blank has a transparent substrate, a halftone phase shift layer and a light shielding film, the halftone phase shift layer and the light shielding film being layered in this order on the transparent substrate, and the l light shielding film is a single layered or multiple layered film which has a layer of tantalum.

Abstract: In a halftone phase shifting photomask 108, having a pattern of halftone phase shifting film 102 containing at least chromium and fluorine, the halftone phase shifting film is heat-treated at a temperature between 250° C. and 500° C.

Abstract: A blank for a halftone phase shift photomask in the present invention comprises a transparent substrate and a halftone phase shift film provided thereon, and said halftone phase shift film has a multilayer construction in which at least a first layer capable of being etched with a chlorinated gas and a second layer capable of being etched with a fluorinated gas are disposed in this order from the side near said transparent substrate. A film made of tantalum silicides is suitable to use as the second layer of the halftone phase shift film.

Abstract: The invention relates a halftone phase shift photomask and a blank therefor, which enables the transmittance of a phase shift portion to be varied even after blank or photomask fabrication, can accommodate to a variety of patterns, and can be fabricated on a mass scale. The exposure light transmittance of a halftone phase shift layer is arbitrarily variable within the range of 1% to 50%, inclusive, by exposing the blank or photomask to a high temperature elevated to at least 150.degree. C., to an oxidizing atmosphere, or to a reducing atmosphere at a step that can provided independent of the steps for film-forming or photomask fabrication step. This enables the exposure light transmittance of the halftone phase shift layer to be changed to any desired value after blank or photomask fabrication, and so an optimal halftone phase shift photomask to be obtained depending on the size, area, location, shape, and the like of the transferred pattern.

Abstract: The invention relates a halftone phase shift photomask and a blank therefor, which enables the transmittance of a phase shift portion to be varied even after blank or photomask fabrication, can accommodate to a variety of patterns, and can be fabricated on a mass scale. The exposure light transmittance of a halftone phase shift layer is arbitrarily variable within the range of 1% to 50%, inclusive, by exposing the blank or photomask to a high temperature elevated to at least 150.degree. C., to an oxidizing atmosphere, or to a reducing atmosphere at a step that can provided independent of the steps for film-forming or photomask fabrication step. This enables the exposure light transmittance of the halftone phase shift layer to be changed to any desired value after blank or photomask fabrication, and so an optimal halftone phase shift photomask to be obtained depending on the size, area, location, shape, and the like of the transferred pattern.

Abstract: A chromium blank for forming a black matrix-screen to be used as a color filter for a liquid crystal display is formed by forming at least a first antireflection film, a second antireflection film and a screening film sequentially in that order on one major surface of a transparent substrate. Each of the first and the second antireflection film is a semitransparent film formed of a chromium compound or a chromium mixture, containing chromium as a principal component, and the screening film is formed of chromium, a chromium compound containing chromium as a principal component. The transparent substrate, the first antireflection film, the second antireflection film and the screening film meet an inequality: n.sub.s <n.sub.1 <n.sub.2 <n.sub.3, where n.sub.s is the refractive index of the transparent substrate, n.sub.1 is the real part of the complex index of refraction of the first antireflection film, n.sub.2 is the real part of the complex index of refraction of the second antireflection film, and n.

Abstract: A halftone phase shift photomask designed so that it is possible to shorten the photoengraving process, use a production line for a conventional photomask, prevent lowering of the contract between the transparent and semitransparent regions at a long wavelength in the visible region, which is used for inspection and measurement, and also prevent charge-up during electron beam exposure, and that ordinary physical cleaning process can be used for the halftone phase shift photomask. The halftone phase shift photomask has on a transparent substrate (1) a region which is semitransparent to exposure light and a region which is transparent to the exposure light so that the phase difference between light passing through the transparent region and light passing through the semitransparent region is substantially .pi. radians. A semitransparent film that constitutes the semitransparent region is arranged in the form of a multilayer film including layers (3, 4) of chromium or a chromium compound.

Abstract: A permanent connector for optical fibers comprises a protective glass tube (2), a capillary tube (1) received therein and eccentrically joined thereto, the two tubes being made of ultraviolet-transmitting glass, and an adhesive-passing groove (1c) formed in the middle portion of the capillary tube (1) and opening on the side opposite to the side where they are joined together. An ultraviolet-curing type adhesive agent is charged into the permanent connector for optical fibers and the ends of optical fibers (3, 4) are inserted thereinto through the opposite ends thereof until the clads (3a, 4a) are butted against each other in the capillary tube (1) while pushing out the adhesive agent and air. And ultraviolet rays are radiated to cure the adhesive agent (6), thereby connecting the optical fibers (3, 4) together.

Abstract: An array splice for ribbon-like multi-core optical fibers comprises capillary tubes of ultraviolet-transmitting glass each having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the clad of an optical fiber, each glass capillary tube including tapered portions on the opposite ends thereof for insertion of optical fiber bodies, and a groove formed in the middle upper surface region thereof for discharging bubbles and adhesive agent, and a base including recesses formed in the middle upper surface region thereof for receiving and supporting the lower portions of the tube walls of the glass capillary tubes, and a plurality of front-edged separators each disposed at the opposite ends of the associated receiving and supporting recess. The separators are disposed with approximately the same pitch as that for the capillary tubes. Defined between adjacent separators are optical fiber insertion paths having a width which increases with increasing distances from the opposite ends of each capillary tube.

Abstract: An optical fiber fixing element consists of a glass tube having an inner hole for receiving a clad portion of an optical fiber and which is formed at one end with a conical flared portion converging into the inner hole and a recess for receiving a cover portion of the optical fiber thereinto, both the flared portion and the recess being formed concentrically with the glass tube. A method of manufacturing such optical fiber fixing element is also provided which comprises forming an erosion resistant film on an outer surface, other than an end face, of a glass tube having an inner hole, treating the end face of the glass tube with a glass erosive solution to thereby form a flared portion, and grinding the flared portion to thereby form a recess in the flared portion.