Abstract: According to one embodiment, a template substrate includes a substrate and a mask. The substrate includes a mesa region formed in a central portion of an upper surface of the substrate. The mesa region is configured to protrude more than a region of the substrate around the mesa region. An impurity is introduced into an upper layer portion of a partial region of a peripheral portion of the mesa region. The mask film is provided on the upper surface of the substrate.

Abstract: There is disclosed a manufacturing method for exposure mask, which comprises acquiring a first information showing surface shape of surface of each of a plurality of mask substrates, and a second information showing the flatness of the surface of each of mask substrates before and after chucked on a mask stage of an exposure apparatus, forming a corresponding relation of each mask substrate, the first information and the second information, selecting the second information showing a desired flatness among the second information of the corresponding relation, and preparing another mask substrate having the same surface shape as the surface shape indicated by the first information in the corresponding relation with the selected second information, and forming a desired pattern on the above-mentioned another mask substrate.

Abstract: A pattern verification-test method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: deriving an illumination condition at a verification-test subject position in a photomask surface of a mask pattern as a verification or a test subject based on the verification-test subject position and illumination condition information about a distribution of an illumination condition in a photomask surface of exposure light incident on the mask pattern, performing lithography simulation on the mask pattern based on the derived illumination condition and the mask pattern, and verifying or testing the mask pattern based on a result of the lithography simulation.

Abstract: An exposure mask includes: an insulative substrate; a light reflecting film provided on the substrate; a light absorbing film provided on the light reflecting film and forming a pattern in a center region on the substrate; and an interconnect provided on the substrate, the light reflecting film and the light absorbing film not being provided in a frame-shaped region surrounding the center region, and the interconnect being placed so that a portion of a laminated film composed of the light reflecting film and the light absorbing film located inside the frame-shaped region is electrically connected to a portion of the laminated film located outside the frame-shaped region.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a mask inspection apparatus includes a decompression chamber, a holder, a light irradiation unit, a detection unit, an electrode, and a control unit. The holder is provided in the decompression chamber and holds a mask. The light irradiation unit irradiates a major surface of the mask held by the holder with a light. The detection unit is provided in the decompression chamber to detect electrons generated when the major surface of the mask is irradiated with the light. The electrode is provided between the holder and the detection unit and guides the electrons in a direction from the holder toward the detection unit. The control unit compares a detection result of the electrons detected by the detection unit with a reference value.

Abstract: A substrate surface inspection method inspects for a defect on a substrate including a plurality of materials on a surface thereof. The inspection method comprises: irradiating the surface of the substrate with an electron beam, a landing energy of the electron beam set such that a contrast between at least two types of materials of the plurality of materials is within a predetermined range; detecting electrons generated by the substrate to acquire a surface image of the substrate, with a pattern formed thereon from the at least two types of materials eliminated or weakened; and detecting the defect from the acquired surface image by detecting as the defect an object image having a contrast by which the object image can be distinguished from a background image in the surface image. Defects present on the substrate surface can be detected easily and precisely by using a cell inspection.

Abstract: A template inspection method for performing defect inspection of a template, by bringing a pattern formation surface of a template used to form a pattern close to a first fluid coated on a flat substrate, filling the first fluid into a pattern of the template, and by performing optical observation of the template in a state that the first fluid is sandwiched between the template and the substrate, wherein a difference between an optical constant of the first fluid and an optical constant of the template is larger than a difference between an optical constant of air and the optical constant of the template.

Abstract: There is disclosed a manufacturing method for exposure mask, which comprises acquiring a first information showing surface shape of surface of each of a plurality of mask substrates, and a second information showing the flatness of the surface of each of mask substrates before and after chucked on a mask stage of an exposure apparatus, forming a corresponding relation of each mask substrate, the first information and the second information, selecting the second information showing a desired flatness among the second information of the corresponding relation, and preparing another mask substrate having the same surface shape as the surface shape indicated by the first information in the corresponding relation with the selected second information, and forming a desired pattern on the above-mentioned another mask substrate.

Abstract: A pattern verification-test method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: deriving an illumination condition at a verification-test subject position in a photomask surface of a mask pattern as a verification or a test subject based on the verification-test subject position and illumination condition information about a distribution of an illumination condition in a photomask surface of exposure light incident on the mask pattern, performing lithography simulation on the mask pattern based on the derived illumination condition and the mask pattern, and verifying or testing the mask pattern based on a result of the lithography simulation.

Abstract: An exposure mask includes: an insulative substrate; a light reflecting film provided on the substrate; a light absorbing film provided on the light reflecting film and forming a pattern in a center region on the substrate; and an interconnect provided on the substrate, the light reflecting film and the light absorbing film not being provided in a frame-shaped region surrounding the center region, and the interconnect being placed so that a portion of a laminated film composed of the light reflecting film and the light absorbing film located inside the frame-shaped region is electrically connected to a portion of the laminated film located outside the frame-shaped region.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an exposure mask includes generating or preparing flatness variation data relating to a mask blanks substrate to be processed into an exposure mask, the flatness variation data being data relating to change of flatness of the mask blank substrate caused when the mask blank substrate is chucked by a chuck unit of an exposure apparatus, generating position correction data of a pattern to be drawn on the mask blanks substrate based on the flatness variation data such that a mask pattern of the exposure mask comes to a predetermined position in a state that the exposure mask is chucked by the chuck unit, and drawing a pattern on the mask blanks substrate, the drawing the pattern including drawing the pattern with correcting a drawing position of the pattern and inputting drawing data corresponding to the pattern and the position correction data into a drawing apparatus.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a photomask evaluation method including, acquiring a pattern image of a photomask, generating sidewall angle data on the sidewall angle of a pattern from the pattern image, extracting a pattern outline from the pattern image to generate outline data, and running a lithographic simulation on the basis of the outline data and the sidewall angle data to calculate an exposure margin.

Abstract: A pattern is formed on a mask substrate. Positional deviation information between an actual position of the pattern formed on the mask substrate and a design position decided at the time of designing the pattern is calculated. A heterogeneous layer of which a volume expands more greatly than that of surrounding mask substrate region is formed in a predetermined position within the mask substrate so that volume expansion of the heterogeneous layer according to the positional deviation information is achieved.

Abstract: A mask pattern verifying method include obtaining first information about a hot spot from design data of a mask pattern, obtaining second information about the mask pattern actually formed on a photo mask, and determining a measuring spot of the mask pattern actually formed on the photo mask, based on the first and second information.

Abstract: A reflective mask comprising: a reflective layer that is arranged on a surface on a side on which EUV light is irradiated and reflects the EUV light; a buffer layer containing Cr that is arranged on a side of the reflective layer on which the EUV light is irradiated and covers an entire surface of the reflective layer; and a non-reflective layer that is arranged on a side of the buffer layer on which the EUV light is irradiated and in which an absorber that absorbs the irradiated EUV light is arranged in a position corresponding to a mask pattern to be reduced and transferred onto a wafer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a reticle chuck cleaner for cleaning a reticle chuck of an EUV exposure apparatus includes a substrate having a shape to be carried to the reticle chuck of the EUV exposure apparatus, and an adhesive formed on one of the main surfaces of the substrate.

Abstract: A pattern is formed on a mask substrate. Positional deviation information between an actual position of the pattern formed on the mask substrate and a design position decided at the time of designing the pattern is calculated. A heterogeneous layer of which a volume expands more greatly than that of surrounding mask substrate region is formed in a predetermined position within the mask substrate so that volume expansion of the heterogeneous layer according to the positional deviation information is achieved.

Abstract: A reflective mask comprising: a reflective layer that is arranged on a surface on a side on which EUV light is irradiated and reflects the EUV light; a buffer layer containing Cr that is arranged on a side of the reflective layer on which the EUV light is irradiated and covers an entire surface of the reflective layer; and a non-reflective layer that is arranged on a side of the buffer layer on which the EUV light is irradiated and in which an absorber that absorbs the irradiated EUV light is arranged in a position corresponding to a mask pattern to be reduced and transferred onto a wafer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an imprint mask includes a quartz plate. The quartz plate has a plurality of concave sections formed in part of an upper surface on the quartz plate, and impurities are contained in a portion between the concave sections in the quartz plate.

Abstract: There is disclosed a manufacturing method for exposure mask, which comprises acquiring a first information showing surface shape of surface of each of a plurality of mask substrates, and a second information showing the flatness of the surface of each of mask substrates before and after chucked on a mask stage of an exposure apparatus, forming a corresponding relation of each mask substrate, the first information and the second information, selecting the second information showing a desired flatness among the second information of the corresponding relation, and preparing another mask substrate, having the same surface shape as the surface shape indicated by the first information in the corresponding relation with the selected second information, and forming a desired pattern on the above-mentioned another mask substrate.