Abstract: Provided is a mask blank (100) for manufacturing a phase shift mask.

Abstract: Provided is a mask blank for a phase shift mask including an etching stopper film. A mask blank has a structure where a transparent substrate has layered thereon an etching stopper film and a phase shift film in this order, in which the phase shift film contains silicon and oxygen, in which the phase shift film has a refractive index n1 of 1.5 or more for light of 193 nm wavelength and an extinction coefficient k1 of 0.1 or less for light of 193 nm wavelength, in which the etching stopper film has a refractive index n2 of 2.6 or more for light of 193 nm wavelength and an extinction coefficient k2 of 0.4 or less for light of 193 nm wavelength, and the refractive index n2 and the extinction coefficient k2 satisfy at least one of k2?[(?0.188×n2)+0.879] and k2?[(2.75×n2)?6.945].

Abstract: A mask blank is provided which comprises a transparent substrate, an etching mask formed on the transparent substrate, and a light shielding film formed on the etching mask film. The mask blank may also include a light-semitransmissive film formed between the transparent substrate and the etching mask film. The etching mask film contains chromium and carbon, and the light shielding film contains chromium and oxygen. A C1s narrow spectrum of the etching mask film as obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis has a maximum peak at a binding energy of not less than 282 eV and not more than 284 eV.

Abstract: A light shielding film made up of a material containing one or more elements selected from silicon and tantalum and a hard mask film made up of a material containing chromium, oxygen, and carbon are laminated on a transparent substrate. The hard mask film is a single layer film having a composition gradient portion with increased oxygen content on the surface and on the neighboring region. The maximum peak for N1s in a narrow spectrum obtained via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis is the lower limit of detection or less. The portions excluding the composition gradient portion of the hard mask film have a 50 atom % or more chromium content, and the maximum peak for Cr2p in a narrow spectrum obtained via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis has a binding energy of 574 eV or less.

Abstract: A mask blank is provided, which makes it possible to form a fine transfer pattern in a light-semitransmissive film with high accuracy even if the light-semitransmissive film is made of a material containing silicon and a light shielding film is made of a material containing chromium. The mask blank 100 has a structure in which the light-semitransmissive film 2, etching mask film 3, and light shielding film 4 are laminated in this order on the transparent substrate 1. It is featured in that the light-semitransmissive film 2 is made of the material containing silicon, the etching mask film 3 is made of the material containing chromium, the light shielding film 4 is made of a material containing chromium and oxygen, and a ratio of the etching rate of the light shielding film 4 to the etching rate of the etching mask film 3 in the dry etching with an oxygen-containing chlorine-based gas is not less than 3 and not more than 12.

Abstract: A mask blank is provided, by which an alignment mark can be formed between a transparent substrate and a laminated structure of a light semitransmissive film, etching stopper film, and light shielding film during manufacture of a transfer mask.

Abstract: A mask blank comprising an etching stopper film. The mask blank comprises a thin film for pattern formation on a main surface of a transparent substrate, and is featured in that: the thin film for pattern formation contains silicon, an etching stopper film is provided between the transparent substrate and the thin film for pattern formation, and the etching stopper film contains silicon, aluminum, and oxygen.

Abstract: In a mask blank having a structure in which a light-semitransmissive film and a light-shielding film are laminated on a main surface of a transparent substrate, the light-semitransmissive film is made of a material that can be dry-etched with an etching gas containing a fluorine-based gas, the light-shielding film is made of a material that contains tantalum and one or more elements selected from hafnium and zirconium and contains no oxygen except in a surface layer thereof, an etching stopper film is provided between the light-semitransmissive film and the light-shielding film, and the etching stopper film is made of a material that contains chromium with an oxygen content of 20 at % or less.

Abstract: A mask blank having fast repair rate of EB defect repair and high repair rate ratio to EB defect repair relative to a transparent substrate that includes a phase shift film on a transparent substrate, the phase shift film has a structure including three sets or more of a set of a stacked structure including a high transmitting layer and a low transmitting layer, the high transmitting layer and the low transmitting layer are made of a material consisting of silicon and nitrogen, or a material consisting of silicon, nitrogen, oxygen, and one or more elements selected from a metalloid element and a non-metallic element, the high transmitting layer includes 50 atom % or more nitrogen content and has a thickness of 12 nm or less, and the low transmitting layer includes less than 50 atom % nitrogen content and has a thickness less than the high transmitting layer.

Abstract: A mask blank having a light-shielding film containing chromium, oxygen, and carbon, and a hard mask film containing one or more of silicon and tantalum. The light shielding film and the hard mask film are provided in this order on a transparent substrate; the light shielding film being (1) a single layer film having a composition gradient portion with increased oxygen content on a surface at a side of the hard mask film and a region close thereto and (2) configured such that a maximum peak of N1s narrow spectrum obtained from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is less than or equal to lower detection limit. A portion of the light shielding film excluding the composition gradient portion has a chromium content of 50 atom % or more, and has a maximum peak of Cr2p narrow spectrum, obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, at binding energy of 574 eV or less.

Abstract: A mask blank is provided, by which an alignment mark can be formed between a transparent substrate and a laminated structure of a light semitransmissive film, etching stopper film, and light shielding film during manufacture of a transfer mask.

Abstract: The mask blank (100) in which a phase shift film (2) made of a material containing silicon, a light shielding film (3) made of a material containing chromium, oxygen, and carbon, and a hard mask film (4) made of a material containing one or more elements selected from silicon and tantalum are provided in this order on a transparent substrate (1) is characterized in that the light shielding film (3) is a single layer film having a composition gradient portion with an increased oxygen content at a surface on the hard mask film (4) side and in a region close thereto, the light shielding film (3) has a maximum peak of N1s narrow spectrum obtained by analysis of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of lower detection limit or less, and a part of the light shielding film (3) excluding the composition gradient portion has a chromium content of 50 atom % or more and has a maximum peak of Cr2p narrow spectrum obtained by analysis of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at binding energy of 574 eV or less.

Abstract: A mask blank is provided, by which an alignment mark can be formed between a transparent substrate and a laminated structure of a light semitransmissive film, etching stopper film, and light shielding film during manufacture of a transfer mask.

Abstract: A mask blank comprising an etching stopper film. The mask blank comprises a thin film for pattern formation on a main surface of a transparent substrate, and is featured in that: the thin film for pattern formation contains silicon, an etching stopper film is provided between the transparent substrate and the thin film for pattern formation, and the etching stopper film contains silicon, aluminum, and oxygen.

Abstract: A mask blank suitable for fabricating a phase shift mask having a thin film pattern composed of a material enabling dry etching with a fluorine-based gas and a substrate-engraved pattern. The mask blank 100 is used to fabricate a phase shift mask having a thin film pattern and a substrate-engraved pattern. The mask blank 100 has a structure in which an etching stopper film 2, a thin film for pattern formation 3 and an etching mask film 4 are laminated in this order on a transparent substrate 1. The etching stopper film 2 is made of a material that contains chromium and oxygen and the oxygen content thereof is more than 50 at %. The thin film 3 is made of a material that can be dry-etched by a fluorine-based gas. The etching mask film 4 is made of a material that contains chromium, the chromium content thereof is not less than 45 at %, and the oxygen content thereof is not more than 30 at %.

Abstract: A mask blank is provided, which makes it possible to form a fine transfer pattern in a light-semitransmissive film with high accuracy even if the light-semitransmissive film is made of a material containing silicon and a light shielding film is made of a material containing chromium. The mask blank 100 has a structure in which the light-semitransmissive film 2, etching mask film 3, and light shielding film 4 are laminated in this order on the transparent substrate 1. It is featured in that the light-semitransmissive film 2 is made of the material containing silicon, the etching mask film 3 is made of the material containing chromium, the light shielding film 4 is made of a material containing chromium and oxygen, and a ratio of the etching rate of the light shielding film 4 to the etching rate of the etching mask film 3 in the dry etching with an oxygen-containing chlorine-based gas is not less than 3 and not more than 12.

Abstract: A mask blank wherein damage to a light semitransmissive film due to dry etching for removing a light shielding film is inhibited. Mask blank 100 has a light semitransmissive film 2 and light shielding film 4 laminated on a main surface of a transparent substrate 1. Film 2 can be dry etched with a fluorine-based gas. Film 4 has laminated lower layer 41 and upper layer 42. Lower layer 41 contained tantalum and id substantially free from hafnium, zirconium, and oxygen. Upper layer 42 contains tantalum and one or more of hafnium and zirconium and is substantially free from oxygen excluding the surface layer of the upper layer 42. Between the light semitransmissive film 2 and lower layer 41 is an etching stopper film 3 having etch selectivity with respect to the lower layer 41 in dry etching with an etching gas containing the chlorine-based gas and no oxygen gas.

Abstract: The present invention is a reflective mask blank used to fabricate a reflective mask, which has a laminated structure of a multilayer reflective film, an absorber film and an etching mask film in this order on a substrate, wherein the etching mask film comprises a material containing chromium, the absorber film comprises a material containing tantalum, a highly oxidized layer is formed on the surface layer of the absorber film on the opposite side from the substrate, and a Ta 4f narrow spectrum of the highly oxidized layer when analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has a maximum peak at a binding energy of more than 23 eV.

Abstract: A mask blank suitable for fabricating a phase shift mask having a thin film pattern composed of a material enabling dry etching with a fluorine-based gas and a substrate-engraved pattern. The mask blank 100 is used to fabricate a phase shift mask having a thin film pattern and a substrate-engraved pattern. The mask blank 100 has a structure in which an etching stopper film 2, a thin film for pattern formation 3 and an etching mask film 4 are laminated in this order on a transparent substrate 1. The etching stopper film 2 is made of a material that contains chromium and oxygen and the oxygen content thereof is more than 50 at %. The thin film 3 is made of a material that can be dry-etched by a fluorine-based gas. The etching mask film 4 is made of a material that contains chromium, the chromium content thereof is not less than 45 at %, and the oxygen content thereof is not more than 30 at %.

Abstract: A mask blank suitable for fabricating a phase shift mask having a thin film pattern composed of a material enabling dry etching with a fluorine-based gas and a substrate-engraved pattern. The mask blank 100 is used to fabricate a phase shift mask having a thin film pattern and a substrate-engraved pattern. The mask blank 100 has a structure in which an etching stopper film 2, a thin film for pattern formation 3 and an etching mask film 4 are laminated in this order on a transparent substrate 1. The etching stopper film 2 is made of a material that contains chromium and oxygen and the oxygen content thereof is more than 50 at %. The thin film 3 is made of a material that can be dry-etched by a fluorine-based gas. The etching mask film 4 is made of a material that contains chromium, the chromium content thereof is not less than 45 at %, and the oxygen content thereof is not more than 30 at %.