Abstract: The deterioration of photomasks caused by chromium migration in COG masks may be reduced or suppressed by avoiding substantially pure chromium materials or encapsulating these materials, since the chromium layer has been identified as a major contributor to the chromium diffusion.

Abstract: Mask blanks of the invention include an absorber layer, an anti-reflective layer disposed over the absorber layer, and a hard mask layer disposed over the anti-reflective layer. The absorber layer is absorbent at an exposure wavelength and is reflective at an inspection wavelength. The inspection wavelength is greater than or equal to the exposure wavelength. The anti-reflective layer is not reflective at the inspection wavelength. None of the main constituents of the hard mask layer has an atomic number greater than 41. The mask blank may be a reflective EUVL mask blank or a transparent mask blank.

Abstract: An inner contour of the compensation frame (2) is configured in polygonal fashion in order to receive the substrate (1). With the substrate (1) having been received, the compensation frame (2) encloses the substrate (1) at the outer edge thereof. A partial region (3a) of an upper main area (3) of the compensation frame (2) runs at a given height (h) above the plane of an upper main area (1a) of the substrate (1) when the latter has been received into the compensation frame (2). Moreover, a further partial region (3b) of the upper main area (3) of the compensation frame runs essentially at the same height as the plane of the upper main area (3) of the substrate (1) when the latter has been received into the compensation frame (2).