Abstract: To provide a reflective mask blank for EUV lithography which is excellent in flatness, whereby the deterioration of the overlay accuracy at the time of pattern transfer can be relatively easily corrected, and the deterioration of the overlay accuracy due to the flatness is small.

Abstract: A process for inspecting an EUV mask blank capable of distinguishing phase defects and amplitude defects and capable of detecting small amplitude defects, a process for producing an EUV mask blank using the inspection process, and an EUV mask blank obtainable by such a process. A process for inspecting a reflective mask blank for EUV lithography having a multilayer reflective film and an absorber layer. The process includes a first step of detecting in-plane defects in the multilayer reflective film by applying EUV light to the surface of the multilayer reflective film, a second step of detecting in-plane defects from the absorber layer by applying light having a wavelength of from 150 to 600 nm to the surface of the absorber layer, and a step of distinguishing phase defects and amplitude defects in the reflective mask blank by comparison between the first and second in-plane defect data.

Abstract: To provide a reflective mask blank for EUV lithography which is excellent in flatness, whereby the deterioration of the overlay accuracy at the time of pattern transfer can be relatively easily corrected, and the deterioration of the overlay accuracy due to the flatness is small.

Abstract: A glass substrate for a mask blank includes two main surfaces facing each other, side surfaces and surfaces to be chamfered. The surfaces to be chamfered are provided peripherally around each of the two main surfaces. At least one of the side surfaces and the surfaces to be chamfered in the glass substrate has, in a measurement area with an atomic force microscope (AFM) of 3 ?m square, an arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) of 0.5 nm or less and a dale void volume (Vvv) obtained from a bearing area curve as defined in ISO 25178-2(2012) of 1.5×107 nm3 or less.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of finishing a pre-polished TiO2—SiO2 glass substrate, containing a step of measuring a striae-originated MSFR (MSFR0) of a major surface, a step of measuring a TiO2 concentration distribution (?TiO2) in the major surface, a first and second processing steps of processing the major surface, and a cleaning step of cleaning the major surface, in which according to the MSFR0 (nm) and the ?TiO2 (wt %), the total etching amount (nm) of a chemical etching amount of the major surface in the second processing step and another chemical etching amount of the major surface in the cleaning step is controlled to satisfy the following expression (1) Total etching amount?(10 nm?MSFR0)v/A/?TiO2 ??(1) (v is an average etching rate (nm/sec) and A is an TiO2 concentration dependency (nm/sec/wt %) of an etching rate).

Abstract: To provide a process for inspecting an EUV mask blank capable of distinguishing phase defects and amplitude defects and capable of detecting even amplitude defects of small sizes, a process for producing an EUV mask blank using the inspection process, and an EUV mask blank obtainable by such a process.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a reflective mask blank for EUV lithography with a resist film, includes preparing a reflective mask blank provided with three or more concave or convex fiducial marks each formed by at least two lines placed to extend along any one of virtual lines that cross at an intersection point, at least one of the lines of the fiducial mark being placed to extend along each of the virtual lines; forming a resist film on the reflective mask blank; detecting fiducial positions corresponding to the intersection points of the fiducial marks by scanning with an electron beam or an ultraviolet light; and exposing specific areas of the resist film including circular areas centered at the fiducial positions of the respective fiducial marks with a radius of 1.5W, where W is the maximum value of a width of the line of the respective fiducial marks.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a glass substrate for optical lithography containing a fluorine-containing synthetic quartz glass, in which the glass substrate has a pattern forming region, and when the pattern forming region is divided into a plural parts each having a strip shape along a long side direction of the pattern forming region such that the number of divisions is greater than or equal to 3, each part has an average fluorine concentration of greater than or equal to 1 mass % and a distribution of the average fluorine concentration among the parts is less than or equal to 0.45 mass %.

Abstract: It is an objective of the present invention to identify SPARC protein-derived peptides that are able to induce human killer T cells and helper T cells having cytotoxic activity to tumors, and to provide a means for carrying out a tumor immunotherapy of patients with various types of cancers overexpressing SPARC. The present invention provides a peptide of any of the following: (A) a peptide which consists of the amino acid sequence as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 3; or (B) a peptide which consists of an amino acid sequence comprising a substitution or addition of one or several amino acids with respect to the peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 3, and which has capacity to induce cytotoxic (killer) T cells.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a reflective mask blank for EUV lithography with a resist film, includes preparing a reflective mask blank provided with three or more concave or convex fiducial marks each formed by at least two lines placed to extend along any one of virtual lines that cross at an intersection point, at least one of the lines of the fiducial mark being placed to extend along each of the virtual lines; forming a resist film on the reflective mask blank; detecting fiducial positions corresponding to the intersection points of the fiducial marks by scanning with an electron beam or an ultraviolet light; and exposing specific areas of the resist film including circular areas centered at the fiducial positions of the respective fiducial marks with a radius of 1.5W, where W is the maximum value of a width of the line of the respective fiducial marks.

Abstract: Provided are an EUV mask blank in which deterioration in reflectivity due to oxidation of a Ru protective layer is prevented, a reflective layer-equipped substrate to be used for producing the EUV mask blank, and a process for producing the reflective layer-equipped substrate. A reflective layer-equipped substrate for EUV lithography comprising a substrate, and a reflective layer for reflecting EUV light and a protective layer for protecting the reflective layer, formed in this order on the substrate, wherein the reflective layer is a Mo/Si multilayer reflective film, the protective layer is a Ru layer or a Ru compound layer, and an intermediate layer containing from 0.5 to 25 at % of nitrogen and from 75 to 99.5 at % of Si is formed between the reflective layer and the protective layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multilayer substrate containing a substrate and a multilayer film provided on the substrate, in which a concave or convex fiducial mark that indicates a fiducial position of the multilayer substrate is formed on the surface of the multilayer film on the opposite side to the side of the substrate; and a material of at least a part of the surface of the fiducial mark is different from a material of a most superficial layer of the multilayer film on the opposite side to the side of the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a reflective mask blank containing in this order, a substrate, a multilayer reflective film that reflects exposure light, and an absorber layer that absorbs the exposure light, in which the reflective mask blank further contains a fiducial mark indicating a reference position of the multilayer reflective film, which is formed in a concave shape or in a convex shape on a surface of the multilayer reflective film or on a surface of one layer formed between the multilayer reflective film and the absorber layer, and the fiducial mark is formed so as to have a reflectivity different from an area surrounding the fiducial mark with respect to a light with a prescribed wavelength and is transferred to a layer formed on the fiducial mark.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a reflective mask blank containing in this order, a substrate, a multilayer reflective film that reflects exposure light, and an absorber layer that absorbs the exposure light, in which the reflective mask blank further contains a fiducial mark indicating a reference position of the multilayer reflective film, which is formed in a concave shape or in a convex shape on a surface of the multilayer reflective film or on a surface of one layer formed between the multilayer reflective film and the absorber layer, and the fiducial mark is formed so as to have a reflectivity different from an area surrounding the fiducial mark with respect to a light with a prescribed wavelength and is transferred to a layer formed on the fiducial mark.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multilayer substrate containing a substrate and a multilayer film provided on the substrate, in which a concave or convex fiducial mark that indicates a fiducial position of the multilayer substrate is formed on the surface of the multilayer film on the opposite side to the side of the substrate; and a material of at least a part of the surface of the fiducial mark is different from a material of a most superficial layer of the multilayer film on the opposite side to the side of the substrate.

Abstract: Provided are a multilayer mirror for EUVL in which deterioration in reflectivity due to oxidation of a Ru protective layer is prevented, and a process for its production. A multilayer mirror for EUV lithography comprising a substrate, and a reflective layer for reflecting EUV light and a protective layer for protecting the reflective layer, formed in this order on the substrate, wherein the reflective layer is a Mo/Si multilayer reflective film, the protective layer is a Ru layer or a Ru compound layer, and an intermediate layer containing from 0.5 to 25 at % of nitrogen and from 75 to 99.5 at % of Si is formed between the reflective layer and the protective layer.

Abstract: It is an objective of the present invention to identify SPARC protein-derived peptides that are able to induce human killer T cells and helper T cells having cytotoxic activity to tumors, and to provide a means for carrying out a tumor immunotherapy of patients with various types of cancers overexpressing SPARC. The present invention provides a peptide of any of the following: (A) a peptide which consists of the amino acid sequence as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 3; or (B) a peptide which consists of an amino acid sequence comprising a substitution or addition of one or several amino acids with respect to the peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 3, and which has capacity to induce cytotoxic (killer) T cells.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing an optical member base material for EUVL, comprising performing the following in this order to obtain an optical member base material for EUVL: a preliminary-polishing step of preliminarily polishing a film forming surface and a back surface of the film forming surface of a glass substrate; a measuring step of measuring a total thickness distribution and a flatness of the glass substrate; and a corrective-polishing step of locally polishing only the back surface of the glass substrate depending on the measurement result of the measuring step.

Abstract: It is an objective of the present invention to identify SPARC protein-derived peptides that are able to induce human killer T cells and helper T cells having cytotoxic activity to tumors, and to provide a means for carrying out a tumor immunotherapy of patients with various types of cancers overexpressing SPARC. The present invention provides a peptide of any of the following: (A) a peptide which consists of the amino acid sequence as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 3; or (B) a peptide which consists of an amino acid sequence comprising a substitution or addition of one or several amino acids with respect to the peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence as shown in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 3, and which has capacity to induce cytotoxic (killer) T cells.

Abstract: A process for producing a synthetic silica glass optical component which contains at least 1×1017 molecules/cm3 and has an OH concentration of at most 200 ppm and substantially no reduction type defects, by treating a synthetic silica glass having a hydrogen molecule content of less than 1×1017 molecules/cm3 at a temperature of from 300 to 600° C. in a hydrogen gas-containing atmosphere at a pressure of from 2 to 30 atms.