Abstract: To improve the shape of a gate electrode having SiGe, after patterning a gate electrode 15G having an SiGe layer 15b by a dry etching process, a plasma processing (postprocessing) is carried out in an atmosphere of an Ar/CHF3 gas. Thereby, the gate electrode 15G can be formed without causing side etching at two side faces (SiGe layer 15b) of the gate electrode 15G.

Abstract: To improve the shape of a gate electrode having SiGe, after patterning a gate electrode 15G having an SiGe layer 15b by a dry etching process, a plasma processing (postprocessing) is carried out in an atmosphere of an Ar/CHF3 gas. Thereby, the gate electrode 15G can be formed without causing side etching at two side faces (SiGe layer 15b) of the gate electrode 15G.

Abstract: To improve the shape of a gate electrode having SiGe, after patterning a gate electrode 15G having an SiGe layer 15b by a dry etching process, a plasma processing (postprocessing) is carried out in an atmosphere of an Ar/CHF3 gas. Thereby, the gate electrode 15G can be formed without causing side etching at two side faces (SiGe layer 15b) of the gate electrode 15G.

Abstract: To improve a shape of a gate electrode having SiGe, after patterning a gate electrode 15G having an SiGe layer 15b by a dry etching process, a plasma processing (postprocessing) is carried out in an atmosphere of an Ar/CHF3 gas. Thereby, the gate electrode 15G can be formed without causing side etching at two side faces (SiGe layer 15b) of the gate electrode 15G.

Abstract: To improve a shape of a gate electrode having SiGe, after patterning a gate electrode 15G having an SiGe layer 15b by a dry etching process, a plasma processing (postprocessing) is carried out in an atmosphere of an Ar/CHF3 gas. Thereby, the gate electrode 15G can be formed without causing side etching at two side faces (SiGe layer 15b) of the gate electrode 15G.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device fabrication technique improves the accuracy of element qualities by considering the influence of interaction of element quality parameters in the quality control of semiconductor fabrication processes and also by improving the product yield estimation accuracy so that the production efficiency can be improved. An initial value of a membership function is first set and then a plurality of element quality parameters and a combined quality parameter are expressed by membership functions in fuzzy control in a semiconductor fabrication apparatus for automating a fabrication method by connecting a computer with various measuring instruments and various processors by communication devices.

Abstract: A mask for exposing a wafer with radiation and its exposition method in which the radiation exposure mask is provided with at least two radiation exposure windows which each include a mask pattern of a smaller pattern area obtained by dividing a pattern area constituting an integrating circuit chip into a plurality of the areas, and a semiconductor wafer is exposed with radiation while the radiation exposure mask is intermittently moved by a distance of the size of the small pattern area.

Abstract: Alignment in X-ray lithography is generally effected in such a manner that the surface of a target mark for alignment formed on a wafer is illuminated with light for alignment through an X-ray mask, and the position of the wafer is detected from the reflected light. On the basis of the finding that the reflected light from the mask, particularly from an absorber formed thereon, greatly degrades the precision and reliability in measurement, the present invention provides a pattern transfer mask provided with a thin film which lowers the reflection factor of the mask the thin film having a thickness set a .lambda./4n (.lambda.:the wavelength of the light for alignment; n: an integer) or an odd-number multiple thereof. Thus, it is advantageously possible to overcome the above-described lowering of precision and reliablity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for correcting defects of an X-ray mask which includes a focused ion beam used to irradiate at least a region having a defective portion of an X-ray mask having a protective film and eliminating the protective film; exposing a circuit pattern having a defective portion located under the region or setting this circuit pattern to the state near the exposure; detecting one of the secondary electrons, secondary ions, reflected electrons, or absorbing current generated from that region and detecting a true defective position. Then positioning the focused ion beam to the true defective position and irradiating the focused ion beam to the defective portion thereby correcting the defect.

Abstract: A method of correcting a circuit pattern such as an X-ray mask, carried out by first preparing a circuit pattern structure where a circuit pattern on a conductive film is coated with a protective film, then forming a hole or a slit by irradiating a high-intensity focused ion beam to a dropout defective portion in the circuit pattern of the circuit pattern structure, and plating such hole or slit while utilizing the conductive film as a plating electrode, thereby forming a metal frame to correct the dropout defective portion.

Abstract: A focusing X-ray crystal monochromator in which one or more crystal layers having different spacings of lattice plane are stacked on a crystal base. Due to different spacings of lattice plane, the angle of reflection and diffraction of a diverging incident X-ray beam can be so changed that the beam takes a parallel or focusing direction for monochromatization. Thus, the monochromator of the present invention can be applied to the X-ray lithography for transferring a pattern of high resolution or the X-ray analysis such as the fine X-ray diffraction.

Abstract: There is disclosed a mask for X-ray lithography wherein a peroxopolytungsten compound is used as an absorber, and a process for producing the same. Since this compound has a sensitivity for electron beams and light and serves as an absorber for X-rays, a mask for X-ray lithorgraphy is made only by applying this compound to a substrate, exposing the same to light to form a transferred pattern, and effecting development. Thus, the step of etching the absorber which is essential in the conventional process, is not needed. Therefore, masks having a highly accurate pattern and few defects can be produced with a high production yield.

Abstract: This invention relates to an optical exposer wherein a predetermined pattern is projected onto a work piece through a projector lens, and an alignment mark on the work piece is detected through the projector lens. It is desirable that a detection waveform of the alignment mark will not be deformed. Since the wave deformation is due to distortion of the alignment light, a first wavelength light and a second wavelength light are used as the alignment light to reduce the distortion effect.

Abstract: A pattern detector for precise position measurement of a wafer, used in a mask aligner used in manufacturing a semiconductor device is disclosed. A positioning pattern on the wafer is magnified and projected by a magnifying optical system and the magnified projected image is precisely detected to determine a position of the positioning pattern. As a light to form the magnified projected image, plurality of monochromatic lights of different wavelengths are available through optical filters and the magnifying optical systems are arranged one for each of the monochromatic lights. By selecting one of the optical filters, the magnified projected image of the positioning pattern is formed by the monochromatic light having an optimum wavelength to the wafer and the precise position of the positioning pattern on the wafer can be detected.

Abstract: A pattern detector according to the present invention adopts a processing method wherein means is provided anew with which the intensity distribution of light reflected from or transmitted through an illuminated specimen is photoelectrically converted, and a pattern position is detected at high speed from the ratio between the primary moment and integral value of a detection signal thus derived, whereupon a symmetry calculation is executed within a narrow range around the detected value, whereby the pattern position is found fast and precisely.

Abstract: A pattern generator in which a workpiece to be machined into a desired pattern shape is held in vacuum and is irradiated with a laser beam condensed to be fine, while scanning the laser beam so as to depict the desired pattern shape, whereby the workpiece is directly machined in conformity with the desired pattern shape. As the workpiece, one in which a shading film (for example, chromium film) is deposited on a transparent glass substrate is employed, and it is irradiated with the laser beam in the vacuum, whereby the irradiated parts of the shading film are vaporized to fabricate a shading mask pattern of good quality.

Abstract: There is disclosed a pattern forming apparatus for projecting a pattern which is formed on a reticle upon a photoresist layer on a substrate which comprises an illumination system for illuminating the pattern for forming an optical image, a reduction lenses for reducing the optical pattern image at a certain reduction ratio and projecting the reduced optical pattern image upon the photoresist layer formed on the substrate for exposing the photoresist layer, and liquid sustaining means for filling a gap between at least a portion of the reduction lenses and the photoresist layer with an optically transparent liquid having a refractive index of more than 1 (one).

Abstract: An automatic focusing apparatus according to the present invention is constructed of a base on which a substrate is placed, detection means for detecting a pressure of air which is caused to flow out of an interspace between the substrate and an orifice by spurting the air from the orifice toward the substrate, reference pressure generation means for generating a reference pressure which is necessary for setting a standard distance between the substrate and the orifice, a pressure transducer which receives pressure signals from said detection means and said reference pressure generation means and which converts a pressure difference between these pressure signals into an electric signal, base drive means for moving the substrate in parallel with the orifice on the basis of the output signal from said pressure transducer, and offset signal generation means for generating a signal which, when superposed on the output signal from said pressure transducer, serves to shift the substrate from the standard distance.

Abstract: A pattern detecting apparatus is disclosed which comprises, in order to detect the center of a positioning pattern on a sample with high accuracy in a wide range, means for illuminating the positioning pattern, means for defining an illumination range in which the positioning pattern is illuminated, means for focusing reflected light from the positioning pattern on a predetermined image plane, means for electrically detecting a bright and dark image on the image plane in accordance with positions on the image plane, means for removing a signal corresponding to the outside of the illumination range from the output signal of the detecting means and for holding, in place of the removed signal, a level of the output signal produced within the illumination range, and means for detecting a position of the center of the positioning pattern from the output signal of the holding means.

Abstract: In a reduction projection aligner system wherein a pattern on a reticle is formed directly on a wafer by reducing, projecting and printing it, a positioning pattern on the wafer is optically magnified and projected and then focused onto a focal plane where a slit scans the projected image. The distance from a mechanical origin provided on the supporting body of the system to the positioning pattern on the wafer is then measured on the basis of the movement of the slit, and the reticle is then relatively moved and positioned so as to coincide with the position of the wafer relative to the body of the system, thereby bringing the wafer and the reticle into coincidence.