Abstract: During the fabrication of a mask, to substantially avoid systematic deviations from a desired configuration of recesses that will be formed in the mask, the patterning of the mask substrate is carried out in a sequence of subprocesses. The subprocesses are matched to one another such that the deviations that are formed from these subprocesses compensate for one another, so that in this way, error correction is achieved.

Abstract: A measurement technique for determining the width of a structure on a mask is described. During a focus sweep, the width of the structure on a photomask, and an edge slope thereof or the structure contrast thereof are measured on a scanning electron microscope by controlling a current through a flow in a magnetic lens by a control unit. To determine the best focus, a function is fitted to the measured values for the contrast and the angle of edge inclination and the focus is read off at the extreme value thereof. A further function is adapted to the values, measured in each case as a function of the focus for the structural width, and the functional value relating to the previously determined best focus is determined.

Abstract: During the fabrication of a mask, to substantially avoid systematic deviations from a desired configuration of recesses that will be formed in the mask, the patterning of the mask substrate is carried out in a sequence of subprocesses. The subprocesses are matched to one another such that the deviations that are formed from these subprocesses compensate for one another, so that in this way, error correction is achieved.