Abstract: In a simulation step, based on information of a main surface shape of a transparent substrate and shape information of a mask stage of an exposure apparatus and using a deflection differential equation taking into account a twist deformation, height information at a plurality of measurement points is obtained by simulating a state where the transparent substrate is set in the exposure apparatus. Based on the height information obtained through the simulation, a flatness of the transparent substrate when it is set in the exposure apparatus is calculated in a flatness calculation step. Then, by judging in a selection step whether or not the calculated flatness satisfies a specification, the transparent substrate whose flatness satisfies the specification is used as a substrate for a mask blank.

Abstract: Provided is a thin film evaluation method for a transfer mask which is adapted to be applied with ArF excimer laser exposure light and comprises a thin film formed with a pattern on a transparent substrate. The method includes intermittently irradiating pulsed laser light onto the thin film to thereby evaluate the irradiation durability of the thin film.

Abstract: A mask blank substrate for a photomask is chucked on a mask stage of an exposure apparatus. A main surface, on the side where a thin film for a transfer pattern is to be formed, of the mask blank substrate has a flatness of 0.3 ?m or less in a 142 mm square area including its central portion and has a convex shape being relatively high at its central portion and relatively low at its peripheral portion. The difference upon fitting, to the main surface of the mask blank substrate, a virtual reference main surface, having a spherical shape in a 132 mm square area, of a virtual reference substrate is 40 nm or less.

Abstract: In a simulation step of simulating a surface configuration of a substrate which is used for a mask blank and which is set to an exposure apparatus, height information from a reference plane is derived from a plurality of measurement points on a main surface of the substrate. From the height information, a curved surface of fourth, fifth, or sixth order is approximated which is represented by a polynomial specified by a plurality of terms and coefficients of the terms. The coefficients are stored as coefficient information in association with the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate set is a mask blank substrate set including a plurality of substrates each for use in a mask blank for producing a photomask to be chucked on a mask stage of an exposure apparatus. In each of the substrates in the mask blank substrate set, a main surface, on the side where a thin film for forming a transfer pattern is to be formed, has a convex shape being relatively high at its center and relatively low at its peripheral portion. In each substrate, the flatness in a 142 mm square area, including a central portion, of the main surface is 0.3 ?m or less and the difference upon fitting to a reference main surface of a reference substrate is 40 nm or less.

Abstract: A mask blank manufacturing department manufactures a mask blank by forming a thin film to be a mask pattern on a mask blank transparent substrate. When providing the mask blank to a mask manufacturing department, the mask blank manufacturing department provides optical characteristic information (transmittance variation) of the mask blank transparent substrate and optical characteristic information (transmittance variation and/or phase difference variation) of the mask blank to the mask manufacturing department. The optical characteristic information of the mask blank transparent substrate is provided to the mask blank manufacturing department from a materials processing department that manufactures mask blank transparent substrates.

Abstract: An internal defect or the like of a transfer mask is detected using transmitted light quantity distribution data of an inspection apparatus. Using a die-to-die comparison inspection method, inspection light is irradiated to a first region of a thin film to obtain a first transmitted light quantity distribution, the inspection light is also irradiated to a second region of the thin film to obtain a second transmitted light quantity distribution, a predetermined-range difference distribution is produced by plotting coordinates at which difference light quantity values calculated from a comparison between the first transmitted light quantity distribution and the second transmitted light quantity distribution are each not less than a first threshold value and less than a second threshold value, and a selection is made of a transfer mask in which a region with high density of plotting is not detected in the predetermined-range difference distribution.

Abstract: A photomask blank manufacturing method that forms, on a light-transmissive substrate, a thin film for forming a transfer pattern, thereby producing a thin-film coated substrate and then presses the thin-film coated substrate. The pressing is carried out, for example, by a cold isostatic pressing method in a range of 1000 to 10000 atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: A before-chucking main surface shape is measured in an actual measurement region of a main surface of a substrate which has been precision-polished. Based on that shape and a shape of a mask stage (1), a simulated after-chucking main surface shape of the substrate, when a photomask (2) manufactured from the substrate is set in an exposure apparatus, is obtained. A selection is made of the substrate in which the after-chucking main surface shape has a flatness of a first threshold value or less in a virtual calculation region thereof. A calculation is performed and a selection is made of the substrate in which an after-correction main surface shape has a flatness of a second threshold value or less in the correction region.

Abstract: A photomask blank manufacturing method that forms, on a light-transmissive substrate, a thin film for forming a transfer pattern, thereby producing a thin-film coated substrate and then presses the thin-film coated substrate. The pressing is carried out, for example, by a cold isostatic pressing method in a range of 1000 to 10000 atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: A before-chucking main surface shape is measured in an actual measurement region of a main surface of a substrate which has been precision-polished and, based on the before-chucking main surface shape of the substrate and a shape of a mask stage (1), an after-chucking main surface shape of the substrate when a photomask (2) manufactured from the substrate is set in an exposure apparatus is obtained through simulation. A selection is made of the substrate in which the after-chucking main surface shape has a flatness of a first threshold value or less in a virtual calculation region thereof. For the selected substrate, a calculation is made of a first approximate curve approximate to a cross-sectional shape along a first direction in a correction region of the after-chucking main surface shape.

Abstract: An inspection method of transparent articles wherein presence or absence of optical inhomogeneities within the transparent articles can be accurately inspected is provided. In an inspection method of transparent articles used in photolithography, for inspecting whether or not there are inhomogeneities within transparent articles formed of transparent material wherein optical properties regionally or locally change with regard to exposure light, inspection light having a wavelength of 200 nm or shorter is introduced to the transparent article, and light having a longer wavelength than the inspection light which is regionally or locally emitted is sensed on the optical path over which the inspection light is propagated within the transparent article, thereby detecting presence or absence of optical inhomogeneities within the transparent article.

Abstract: A mask blank substrate for a photomask is chucked on a mask stage of an exposure apparatus. A main surface, on the side where a thin film for a transfer pattern is to be formed, of the mask blank substrate has a flatness of 0.3 ?m or less in a 142 mm square area including its central portion and has a convex shape being relatively high at its central portion and relatively low at its peripheral portion. The difference upon fitting, to the main surface of the mask blank substrate, a virtual reference main surface, having a spherical shape in a 132 mm square area, of a virtual reference substrate is 40 nm or less.

Abstract: Provided is a thin film evaluation method for a transfer mask which is adapted to be applied with ArF excimer laser exposure light and comprises a thin film formed with a pattern on a transparent substrate. The method includes intermittently irradiating pulsed laser light onto the thin film to thereby evaluate the irradiation durability of the thin film.

Abstract: A mask blank substrate for a photomask is chucked on a mask stage of an exposure apparatus. A main surface, on the side where a thin film for a transfer pattern is to be formed, of the mask blank substrate has a flatness of 0.3 ?m or less in a 142 mm square area including its central portion and has a convex shape being relatively high at its central portion and relatively low at its peripheral portion. The difference upon fitting, to the main surface of the mask blank substrate, a virtual reference main surface, having a spherical shape in a 132 mm square area, of a virtual reference substrate is 40 nm or less.

Abstract: A mask blank manufacturing department manufactures a mask blank by forming a thin film to be a mask pattern on a mask blank transparent substrate. When providing the mask blank to a mask manufacturing department, the mask blank manufacturing department provides optical characteristic information (transmittance variation) of the mask blank transparent substrate and optical characteristic information (transmittance variation and/or phase difference variation) of the mask blank to the mask manufacturing department. The optical characteristic information of the mask blank transparent substrate is provided to the mask blank manufacturing department from a materials processing department that manufactures mask blank transparent substrates.

Abstract: A before-chucking main surface shape is measured in an actual measurement region of a main surface of a substrate which has been precision-polished and, based on the before-chucking main surface shape of the substrate and a shape of a mask stage (1), an after-chucking main surface shape of the substrate when a photomask (2) manufactured from the substrate is set in an exposure apparatus is obtained through simulation. A selection is made of the substrate in which the after-chucking main surface shape has a flatness of a first threshold value or less in a virtual calculation region thereof. For the selected substrate, a calculation is made of a first approximate curve approximate to a cross-sectional shape along a first direction in a correction region of the after-chucking main surface shape.

Abstract: A substrate set is a mask blank substrate set including a plurality of substrates each for use in a mask blank for producing a photomask to be chucked on a mask stage of an exposure apparatus. In each of the substrates in the mask blank substrate set, a main surface, on the side where a thin film for forming a transfer pattern is to be formed, has a convex shape being relatively high at its center and relatively low at its peripheral portion. In each substrate, the flatness in a 142 mm square area, including a central portion, of the main surface is 0.3 ?m or less and the difference upon fitting to a reference main surface of a reference substrate is 40 nm or less.

Abstract: There are provided a manufacturing method of a transparent substrate for a mask blank, a mask blank, or an exposure mask adapted to prevent occurrence of a transfer pattern defect or a mask pattern defect, by correcting a recessed defect existing on the surface of the transparent substrate, and a defect correction method of an exposure mask. With respect to an exposure mask having a transparent substrate 1 formed thereon with a mask pattern 2 which becomes a transfer pattern, correction is performed by removing, by the use of a needle-shaped member 4, a peripheral portion of a recessed defect 3 formed on a surface 1a of the substrate, where the mask pattern 2 is not formed, so as to induce a reduction in transmission light quantity which causes a transfer pattern defect, thereby reducing a level difference between the surface of the substrate and the depth of the recessed defect.

Abstract: A method includes a preparation step of preparing a transparent substrate having a precision-polished main surface, a surface shape information obtaining step of obtaining, as surface shape information, height information at a plurality of measurement points on the main surface of the transparent substrate that contacts a mask stage of an exposure apparatus, a simulation step of obtaining, based on the surface shape information and shape information of the mask stage, height information at the plurality of measurement points by simulating the state where the transparent substrate is set in the exposure apparatus, a flatness calculation step of calculating, based on the height information obtained through the simulation, a flatness of the transparent substrate when it is set in the exposure apparatus, a judging step of judging whether or not the calculated flatness satisfies a specification, and a thin film forming step of forming a thin film as serving as a mask pattern, on the main surface of the transparent