Abstract: Provided are a mask blank substrate processing device, a mask blank substrate processing method, a mask blank substrate fabrication method, a mask blank fabrication method, and a transfer mask fabrication method, for surface processing a mask blank substrate such that a high-level smoothness and a low-defect quality are satisfied.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a low-defect and high-quality mask blank substrate with minimized transfer pattern defects and high mechanical strength, particularly such that the occurrence of a phenomenon where a portion of a transfer pattern and a principal surface of the substrate therebeneath are broken off together is minimized such that there is little pattern loss. The mask blank is manufactured by preparing a mask blank substrate (X) having a substrate principal surface (X1) polished using a polishing solution containing abrasive grains, etching the substrate principal surface (X1) using catalyst-referred etching so as to remove damaged portions from the principal surface (X1), and then depositing a thin film that forms a transfer pattern on the substrate principal surface (X1) of the substrate (X) by sputtering.

Abstract: Provided are a mask blank substrate processing device, a mask blank substrate processing method, a mask blank substrate fabrication method, a mask blank fabrication method, and a transfer mask fabrication method, for surface processing a mask blank substrate such that a high-level smoothness and a low-defect quality are satisfied.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a low-defect and high-quality mask blank substrate with minimized transfer pattern defects and high mechanical strength, particularly such that the occurrence of a phenomenon where a portion of a transfer pattern and a principal surface of the substrate therebeneath are broken off together is minimized such that there is little pattern loss. The mask blank is manufactured by preparing a mask blank substrate (X) having a substrate principal surface (X1) polished using a polishing solution containing abrasive grains, etching the substrate principal surface (X1) using catalyst-referred etching so as to remove damaged portions from the principal surface (X1), and then depositing a thin film that forms a transfer pattern on the substrate principal surface (X1) of the substrate (X) by sputtering.

Abstract: Provided is a mask blank that is improved in adhesion of a thin film for forming a transfer pattern to a resist, thus capable of suppressing the occurrence of collapse, chipping, or the like of a formed resist pattern. The mask blank has, on a transparent substrate 1, a thin film 2 which is for forming a transfer pattern and is made of a material containing a metal. The thin film 2 has a surface modified layer in the form of an oxide film containing a hydrocarbon. The surface modified layer of the thin film 2 can be formed by, for example, causing a highly concentrated ozone gas and an unsaturated hydrocarbon gas to act on the thin film.

Abstract: Provided is a mask blank having a structure including a thin film on a substrate, wherein the thin film is made of a material containing one or more elements selected from tantalum, tungsten, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, nickel, titanium, palladium, molybdenum, and silicon, and wherein the normalized secondary ion intensity of at least one or more ions selected from a calcium fluoride ion, a magnesium fluoride ion, an aluminum fluoride ion, a calcium chloride ion, and a magnesium chloride ion is 2.0×10?4 or less when a surface of the thin film is measured by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) under measurement conditions of a primary ion species of Bi3++, a primary accelerating voltage of 30 kV, and a primary ion current of 3.0 nA.

Abstract: Provided is a mask blank having a structure including a thin film on a substrate, wherein the thin film is made of a material containing one or more elements selected from tantalum, tungsten, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, nickel, titanium, palladium, molybdenum, and silicon, and wherein the normalized secondary ion intensity of at least one or more ions selected from a calcium ion, a magnesium ion, and an aluminum ion is 1.0×10?3 or less when a surface of the thin film is measured by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) under measurement conditions of a primary ion species of Bi3++, a primary accelerating voltage of 30 kV, and a primary ion current of 3.0 nA.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of cleaning a substrate, comprising cleaning at least one surface of a substrate located in a liquid by injecting pressurized cleaning liquid containing bubbles or cleaning particles from a injection nozzle to at least one surface of the substrate.

Abstract: Provided is a mask blank surface treatment method for surface-treating, using a treatment liquid, a surface of a thin film, to be formed into a transfer pattern, of a mask blank having the thin film on a substrate. The thin film is made of a material that can be etched by ion-based dry etching. The concentration of an etching inhibitor contained in the treatment liquid is 0.3 ppb or less.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of cleaning a substrate, comprising cleaning at least one surface of a substrate located in a liquid by injecting pressurized cleaning liquid containing bubbles or cleaning particles from a injection nozzle to at least one surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A photomask blank which is capable of preventing static buildup caused by electron beam pattern drawing for forming a resist pattern. The photomask blank provides a good pattern accuracy through optimization of the dry etching rate along the depth direction of the shielding film, and is capable of reducing the dry etching time by increasing the dry etching rate of the shielding film. The photomask blank includes a translucent substrate having thereon a shielding film composed mainly of chromium and the shielding film contains hydrogen. The shielding film is formed in such a manner that the film formation rate of the layer at the surface side is lower than the film formation rate of the layer at the translucent substrate side of the shielding film. The dry etching rate of the shielding film is lower at the translucent substrate side than at the surface side.

Abstract: Provided is a mask blank that is improved in adhesion of a thin film for forming a transfer pattern to a resist, thus capable of suppressing the occurrence of collapse, chipping, or the like of a formed resist pattern. The mask blank has, on a transparent substrate 1, a thin film 2 which is for forming a transfer pattern and is made of a material containing a metal. The thin film 2 has a surface modified layer in the form of an oxide film containing a hydrocarbon. The surface modified layer of the thin film 2 can be formed by, for example, causing a highly concentrated ozone gas and an unsaturated hydrocarbon gas to act on the thin film.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of cleaning a substrate, comprising cleaning at least one surface of a substrate located in a liquid by injecting pressurized cleaning liquid containing bubbles or cleaning particles from a injection nozzle to at least one surface of the substrate.

Abstract: Provided is a mask blank surface treatment method for surface-treating, using a treatment liquid, a surface of a thin film, to be formed into a transfer pattern, of a mask blank having the thin film on a substrate. The thin film is made of a material that can be etched by ion-based dry etching. The concentration of an etching inhibitor contained in the treatment liquid is 0.3 ppb or less.

Abstract: A photomask blank which is capable of preventing static buildup caused by electron beam pattern drawing for forming a resist pattern. The photomask blank provides a good pattern accuracy through optimization of the dry etching rate along the depth direction of the shielding film, and is capable of reducing the dry etching time by increasing the dry etching rate of the shielding film. The photomask blank includes a translucent substrate having thereon a shielding film composed mainly of chromium and the shielding film contains hydrogen. The shielding film is formed in such a manner that the film formation rate of the layer at the surface side is lower than the film formation rate of the layer at the translucent substrate side of the shielding film. The dry etching rate of the shielding film is lower at the translucent substrate side than at the surface side.

Abstract: There are provided a photomask blank which is capable of preventing static buildup caused by electron beam pattern drawing for forming a resist pattern, a photomask blank which provides a good pattern accuracy through optimization of the dry etching rate along the depth direction of the shielding film, and a photomask blank which is capable of reducing the dry etching time by increasing the dry etching rate of the shielding film. The photomask blank of the present invention includes a translucent substrate having thereon a shielding film composed mainly of chromium and the shielding film contains hydrogen. The shielding film is formed in such a manner that the film formation rate of the layer at the surface side is lower than the film formation rate of the layer at the translucent substrate side of the shielding film. The dry etching rate of the shielding film is lower at the translucent substrate side than at the surface side.

Abstract: A multilayer reflective film coated substrate includes a multilayer under film comprised of Mo/Si alternately-layered films, an intermediate layer in the form of a Si film, and a multilayer reflective film comprised of Mo/Si alternately-layered films for reflecting exposure light. The multilayer under film, the intermediate layer, and the multilayer reflective film are formed on a substrate in this order. Given that a cycle length of the multilayer under film is d bottom (unit:nm), a thickness of the intermediate layer is d Si (unit:nm), and a cycle length of the multilayer reflective film is d top (unit:nm), relationships of a formula (1) and a formula (2) are satisfied, the formula (1) given by n×d top?0.05?d bottom?n×d top+0.05 where n is a natural number equal to or greater than 1, and the formula (2) given by m×d top?1.2?d Si??m×d top+1.2 where m is an integer equal to or greater than 0.

Abstract: It is provided a photomask blank that has good flatness when a light-shielding film is patterned and hence can provide a good mask pattern accuracy and a good pattern transfer accuracy, and a method of producing a photomask. A photomask blank of the present invention includes a light-shielding film containing at least chromium on a light-transmitting substrate. The light-shielding film is formed so as to cause a desired film stress in the direction opposite to that of a change in the film stress that is anticipated to be caused in the light-shielding film by heat treatment according to a resist film formed on the light-shielding film. A photomask is produced by patterning the light-shielding film of the photomask blank by dry etching.

Abstract: A multilayer reflective film coated substrate includes a multilayer under film comprised of Mo/Si alternately-layered films and a multilayer reflective film comprised of Mo/Si alternately-layered films for reflecting exposure light. The multilayer under film and the multilayer reflective film are formed on a substrate in this order. Given that a cycle length of the multilayer under film is d bottom (unit:nm) and a cycle length of the multilayer reflective film is d top (unit:nm), a relationship of a formula (1) is satisfied when d bottom>d top, the formula (1) given by (n+0.15)×d top?d bottom?(n+0.9)×d top where n is a natural number equal to or greater than 1.

Abstract: It is provided a photomask blank that has good flatness when a light-shielding film is patterned and hence can provide a good mask pattern accuracy and a good pattern transfer accuracy, and a method of producing a photomask. A photomask blank of the present invention includes a light-shielding film containing at least chromium on a light-transmitting substrate. The light-shielding film is formed so as to cause a desired film stress in the direction opposite to that of a change in the film stress that is anticipated to be caused in the light-shielding film by heat treatment according to a resist film formed on the light-shielding film. A photomask is produced by patterning the light-shielding film of the photomask blank by dry etching.