Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, methods of forming EUV mask blanks and production systems therefor are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a multilayer reflective stack on a substrate. The multilayer reflective stack comprises a trilayer film including a first film, a second film, and a third film. Some EUV mask blanks include an interface layer on one or more of the first film, the second film and the third film. EUV mask blanks described herein have low Zeff and high reflectance over large bandwidth of reflection angle, thereby minimizing the M3D effect, especially for high-NA EUV scanners.

Abstract: A physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber and a method of operation thereof are disclosed. Chambers and methods are described that provide a chamber comprising an upper shield with two holes that are positioned to permit alternate sputtering from two targets. A process for improving reflectivity from a multilayer stack is also disclosed.

Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, production systems therefor, and methods of increasing multilayer film reflectance are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a bilayer film on a substrate. The bilayer film comprises a first film layer including silicon (Si), and a second film layer comprising an element selected from the group consisting of ruthenium (Ru), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), tungsten (W), iron (Fe), titanium (Ti) and silicides thereof. Some EUV mask blanks further comprise a multilayer reflective stack comprising alternating layers on the bilayer film and a capping layer on the multilayer reflective stack. Some EUV mask blanks include a smoothing layer selected from the group consisting of molybdenum silicide (MoSi), boron carbide (B4C) and silicon nitride (SiN) on the multilayer reflective stack, a capping layer on the smoothing layer, and an absorber layer on the capping layer.

Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, methods for their manufacture and production systems therefor are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a substrate; a multilayer stack of reflective layers on the substrate; a capping layer on the multilayer stack of reflecting layers; and an absorber layer on the capping layer, the absorber layer comprising an alloy of molybdenum (Mo) and antimony (Sb).

Abstract: A physical vapor deposition chamber comprising a tilting substrate support is described. Methods of processing a substrate are also provided comprising tilting at least one of the substrate and the target to improve the uniformity of the layer on the substrate from the center of the substrate to the edge of the substrate. Process controllers are also described which comprise one or more process configurations causing the physical deposition chamber to perform the operations of rotating a substrate support within the physical deposition chamber and tilting the substrate support at a plurality of angles with respect to a horizontal axis.

Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, methods for their manufacture and production systems therefor are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a substrate; a multilayer stack of reflective layers on the substrate; a capping layer on the multilayer stack of reflecting layers; an absorber layer on the capping layer, the absorber layer comprising an antimony-containing material; and a hard mask layer on the absorber layer, the hard mask layer comprising a hard mask material selected from the group consisting of CrO, CrON, TaNi, TaRu and TaCu.

Abstract: A physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber and a method of operation thereof are disclosed. Chambers and methods are described that provide a chamber comprising an upper shield with two holes that are positioned to permit alternate sputtering from two targets.

Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, methods for their manufacture and production systems therefor are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a substrate; a multilayer stack of reflective layers on the substrate; a capping layer on the multilayer stack of reflecting layers; an absorber layer on the capping layer, the absorber layer comprising a tantalum-containing material; and a hard mask layer on the absorber layer, the hard mask layer comprising a hard mask material selected from the group consisting of CrO, CrON, TaNi, TaRu and TaCu.

Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, production systems therefor, and methods of reducing roughness are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a multilayer reflective stack on a substrate comprising a plurality of pairs of alternating layers comprising a first layer and a second layer, the first layer including a first element selected from the group consisting of Si, B, Al, Mg, Zr, Ba, Nb, Ti, Gd, Y, and Ca; and the second layer including a second element selected from the group consisting of Ru, Mo, Ta, Sb, Tc, Nb, Ir, Pt, and Pd. Some EUV mask blanks described herein include interface layer between the first layer and the second layer, the interface layer including an interface element selected from the group consisting of Si, B, C, Al, Mo, and Ru.

Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, methods for their manufacture and production systems therefor are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a substrate; a multilayer stack of reflective layers on the substrate; a capping layer on the multilayer stack of reflecting layers; and an absorber layer on the capping layer, the absorber layer comprising an alloy selected from an alloy of ruthenium (Ru) and silicon (Si); an alloy tantalum (Ta) and platinum (Pt); and an alloy of ruthenium (Ru) and molybdenum (Mo).

Abstract: Physical vapor deposition target assemblies and methods of manufacturing such target assemblies are disclosed. An exemplary target assembly comprises a flow pattern including a plurality of arcs and bends fluidly connected to an inlet end and an outlet end.

Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, methods for their manufacture and production systems therefor are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise an absorber layer comprising a material selected from the group consisting of ruthenium (Ru) and one or more elements of Group 1, Ru and one or more elements of Group 1 and one or more elements of Group 2, Ru and one or more elements of Group 1 and tantalum (Ta), Ru and one or more elements of Group 1 and Ta and one or more elements of Group 2, tellurium (Te) and nickel (Ni), and tellurium (Te) and aluminum (Al).

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for improving flatness of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks are disclosed. The apparatus and methods may utilize one or more of heating the backside and/or the front side of the EUV mask blank and a cooling system. Interfacial layers of the EUV mask blank are selectively heated, resulting in improved flatness of the EUV mask blanks.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods to improve centroid wavelength uniformity of EUV mask blanks are disclosed. The apparatus and methods may utilize one or more of heating the backside and/or the front side of the EUV mask blank. Selected regions and sub regions of the EUV mask blank are selectively heated, resulting in improved centroid wavelength uniformity of EUV mask blanks.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods and are disclosed for measuring refractive index of an absorber material used in EUV phase shift masks. The method and apparatus utilize a reference measurement and as series of reflectance measurements at a range of EUV wavelengths and thickness values for the absorber material to determine the refractive index of the absorber material.

Abstract: Methods of coating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) reticle carrier assemblies are disclosed. The method includes depositing an adhesion layer on the EUV reticle carrier assembly, depositing at least one EUV absorber layer on the EUV reticle carrier assembly and depositing a stress-relieving layer on EUV reticle carrier assembly. The coated EUV reticle carrier assemblies exhibit reduced particle defect generation during EUV mask blank manufacturing.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for measuring surface topography are described. The analysis apparatus and methods detect light reflected from the reflective backside of a cantilever assembly including a tip, calculate a background level (BGL) value obtained from an optical scan of a reference sample using a power spectral density (PSD) value obtained from a topographical scan of a reference sample to generate a correlational coefficient between the BGL and the PSD values. The correlational coefficient between the BGL and PSD values is used to measure the BGL value of additional EUV mask blanks by a topographical scan of the EUV mask blanks using the same tip mounted to the cantilever.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for measuring surface topography are described. The analysis apparatus and methods detect light reflected from the reflective backside of a cantilever assembly including a tip, calculate a background level (BGL) value obtained from an optical scan of a reference sample using a power spectral density (PSD) value obtained from a topographical scan of a reference sample to generate a correlational coefficient between the BGL and the PSD values. The correlational coefficient between the BGL and PSD values is used to measure the BGL value of additional EUV mask blanks by a topographical scan of the EUV mask blanks using the same tip mounted to the cantilever.

Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, methods for their manufacture and production systems therefor are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a substrate; a multilayer stack of reflective layers on the substrate; a capping layer on the multilayer stack of reflecting layers; an absorber layer on the capping layer, the absorber layer comprising an antimony-containing material; and a trilayer on the second side of the substrate, the trilayer including a first layer on the second side of the substrate, a second layer on the first layer and a third layer on the second layer. In some embodiments, separately from or in addition to the trilayer the mask blank includes an etch stop layer between the absorber layer and the capping layer, and there is a hard mask layer on the absorber layer.

Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, methods for their manufacture and production systems therefor are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a substrate; a multilayer stack of reflective layers on the substrate; a capping layer on the multilayer stack of reflecting layers; and an absorber layer on the capping layer, the absorber layer comprising an alloy of molybdenum (Mo) and antimony (Sb).