Abstract: A photomask blank has on a transparent substrate, an optional first film, a second film, a third film, and a fourth film. The first and third films are formed of silicon-containing materials which are resistant to chlorine base dry etching and removable by fluorine base dry etching. The second and fourth films are formed of chromium-containing materials which are resistant to fluorine base dry etching and removable by chlorine base dry etching. An etching clear time of the fourth film is longer than an etching clear time of the second film, on chlorine base dry etching.

Abstract: A method for preparing a photomask blank comprising a transparent substrate and a chromium-containing film contiguous thereto involves the step of depositing the chromium-containing film by sputtering a metallic chromium target having an Ag content of up to 1 ppm. When a photomask prepared from the photomask blank is repeatedly used in patternwise exposure to ArF excimer laser radiation, the number of defects formed on the photomask is minimized.

Abstract: A photomask blank including a transparent substrate, and at least one film (A) containing chromium and nitrogen and free of silicon and at least one film (B) containing silicon and oxygen, and free of a transition metal that are contacted to each other In the blank, when an intension of secondary ions is measured along a thickness direction of the films by a time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), an intension of secondary ions derived from Cr2O5 is lower than an intension of secondary ions derived from SiN, at a position located at the interface or its vicinity of the film (A) and film (B) and having a maximum intensity of secondary ions derived from SiCrO5.

Abstract: A photomask blank including a transparent substrate, and at least one film (A) containing chromium and free of silicon and at least one film (B) containing silicon, and oxygen or oxygen and nitrogen, and free of a transition metal that are contacted to each other In the blank, when an intension of secondary ions is measured along a thickness direction of the films by a time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), an intension of secondary ions derived from Cr2O5 is lower than an intension of secondary ions derived from Cr, at a position located at the interface or its vicinity of the film (A) and film (B) and having a maximum intensity of secondary ions derived from SiCrO5.

Abstract: A halftone phase shift mask blank comprising a transparent substrate and a halftone phase shift film thereon is provided. The halftone phase shift film includes at least one layer composed of a silicon base material having a transition metal content?3 at %, a Si+N+O content?90 at %, a Si content of 30-70 at %, a N+O content of 30-60 at %, and an O content?30 at %, and having a sheet resistance?1013/?/?. The halftone phase shift film undergoes minimal pattern size variation degradation upon exposure to sub-200 nm radiation, and has chemical resistance and improved processability.

Abstract: During reactive sputtering using a silicon-containing target, an inert gas, and a nitrogen-containing reactive gas, a hysteresis curve is drawn by sweeping the flow rate of the reactive gas, and plotting the sputtering voltage or current during the sweep versus the flow rate of the reactive gas. In the step of sputtering in a region corresponding to a range from more than the lower limit of reactive gas flow rate providing the hysteresis to less than the upper limit, the target power, the inert gas flow rate and/or the reactive gas flow rate is increased or decreased continuously or stepwise. The halftone phase shift film including a layer containing transition metal, silicon and nitrogen is improved in in-plane uniformity of optical properties.

Abstract: In a halftone phase shift mask blank comprising a transparent substrate and a halftone phase shift film thereon, the halftone phase shift film is composed of a silicon base material consisting of silicon, nitrogen and 0-6 at % of oxygen, has a refractive index n of at least 2.4, an extinction coefficient k of 0.4-0.7, and a thickness of 40-67 nm. The halftone phase shift film is thin enough to be advantageous for photomask pattern formation, has chemical resistance against chemical cleaning, and maintains a necessary phase shift for phase shift function and a necessary transmittance for halftone function.

Abstract: A halftone phase shift mask blank comprising a transparent substrate and a halftone phase shift film thereon is prepared through the step of depositing the halftone phase shift film on the substrate by using a sputtering gas containing rare gas and nitrogen gas, and plural targets including at least two silicon targets, applying powers of different values to the silicon targets, effecting reactive sputtering, and rotating the substrate on its axis in a horizontal direction. The halftone phase shift film has satisfactory in-plane uniformity of optical properties.

Abstract: In a photomask blank comprising a transparent substrate, a resistance layer, and a conductive layer, the resistivity and thickness of the conductive layer and the resistivity and thickness of the resistance layer are selected so as to meet a specific equation (1). In EB lithography, a ground can be established at a necessary fully low resistance value, and EB writing be carried out at a high accuracy.

Abstract: A photomask blank comprising a transparent substrate and a chromium-containing film is provided. The chromium-containing film is constructed by one or more chromium compound layers which are formed of a chromium compound containing Cr, N and optionally O, and have a composition having a Cr content ?30 at % and a total Cr+N+O content ?93 at %, and meeting the formula: 3Cr?2O+3N. A chromium compound layer meeting a first composition having an N/Cr atomic ratio ?0.95, a Cr content ?40 at %, a total Cr+N content ?80 at %, and an O content ?10 at % is included to a thickness of more than 70% to 100% of the overall thickness of the chromium-containing film.

Abstract: A silicon target for sputtering film formation which enables formation of a high-quality silicon-containing thin film by inhibiting dust generation during sputtering film formation is provided. An n-type silicon target material 10 and a metallic backing plate 20 are attached to each other via a bonding layer 40. A conductive layer 30 made of a material having a smaller work function than that of the silicon target material 10 is provided on a surface of the silicon target material 10 on the bonding layer 40 side. That is, the silicon target material 10 is attached to the metallic backing plate 20 via the conductive layer 30 and the bonding layer 40. In a case of single-crystal silicon, a work function of n-type silicon is generally 4.05 eV. A work function of a material of the conductive layer 30 needs to be smaller than 4.05 eV.

Abstract: A method for designing a photomask blank comprising a transparent substrate and an optical film thereon is provided. The photomask blank is processed into a transmissive photomask having a pattern of optical film such that the film pattern may be transferred when exposure light is transmitted by the photomask. The optical film is selected using a specific reflectance, which is equal to the reflectance divided by the film thickness, as an index.

Abstract: A halftone phase shift film containing Si and N and/or O is deposited on a transparent substrate by reactive sputtering of a Si-containing target with a reactive gas containing N and/or O. One layer is sputter deposited while the reactive gas flow rate is set equal to or lower than the lower limit of the reactive gas flow rate in the hysteresis region, and another layer is sputter deposited while the reactive gas flow rate is set inside the lower and upper limits of the reactive gas flow rate in the hysteresis region. The phase shift film exhibits satisfactory in-plane uniformity of optical properties.

Abstract: A photomask blank comprising a transparent substrate and a light-shielding film disposed thereon is provided. The light-shielding film is constructed by a single layer or multiple layers including a light-shielding layer containing Si and N, having a N content of 3-50 at % based on the sum of Si and N, being free of a transition metal.

Abstract: A halftone phase shift film is formed on a transparent substrate by reactive sputtering using a silicon target, an inert gas, and a nitrogen-containing reactive gas. A hysteresis curve is drawn by sweeping the flow rate of the reactive gas, and plotting the sputtering voltage or current during the sweep versus the flow rate of the reactive gas. In a transition mode sputtering step of sputtering in a region corresponding to a range from more than the lower limit of reactive gas flow rate providing the hysteresis to less than the upper limit, the target power, the inert gas flow rate and/or the reactive gas flow rate is increased or decreased continuously or stepwise.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a photomask blank having at least a silicon-containing inorganic film over a transparent substrate includes forming the silicon-containing inorganic film such that a surface has an oxygen concentration not less than 55 atomic percent and not more than 75 atomic percent, the silicon-containing inorganic film being an SiO film or an SiON film and serving as a hard mask film.

Abstract: The method for manufacturing a photomask blank according to the present invention, when manufacturing a photomask blank having at least one functional layer on a transparent substrate, in a step of film-formation of such a functional film where the functional film includes a chromium-containing element and an a metallic element that is capable of bringing a mixture of the metallic element and the chromium into a liquid phase at a temperature of 400° C. or lower, a chromium target (target A) and a target (target B) mainly containing at least one kind of the metallic element are simultaneously sputtered (co-sputtered). The present invention provides a technique for manufacturing a functional film having a small variation in its characteristics such as optical density and a low detect, and showing a high etching rate.

Abstract: A binary photomask blank has a light-shielding film on a transparent substrate, the light-shielding film composed mainly of transition metal M and Si, or M, Si and N, and having an optical density of at least 3.0. The light-shielding film includes a layer containing M, Si and N so as to meet the formula: B?0.68×A+0.23 wherein A is an atomic ratio M/Si and B is an atomic ratio N/Si, and has a thickness of up to 47 nm. The binary photomask blank has a thin light-shielding film capable of fully shielding exposure light.

Abstract: A halftone phase shift photomask blank comprising a transparent substrate and a halftone phase shift film consisting of silicon, nitrogen and optional oxygen, and providing a phase shift of 150°-200° relative to light of wavelength up to 200 nm. The phase shift film includes at least one layer meeting the formula: 2×O/Si+3×N/Si?3.5 wherein Si is a silicon content (at %), N is a nitrogen content (at %), and O is an oxygen content (at %). The phase shift film exhibits satisfactory in-plane uniformity of transmittance.

Abstract: In a chamber (50), a quartz substrate (10) having a main surface on which an optical film (20) is formed is put on a susceptor (30). A flash lamp (60) is housed in a lamp house (90), and the optical film (20) is irradiated with flash light through two quartz plates (70a and 70b). A transmittance adjustment region (80) is formed on a surface of the quartz plate (70b) of the two quartz plates (70a and 70b), and the amount of light with which the optical film (20) is irradiated has in-plane distribution. If the optical film (20) is irradiated with the flash light, optical characteristics of the optical film (20) change depending on the received irradiation energy. Hence, for example, the characteristics of the optical film are not uniform, the optical film is irradiated with flash light having such irradiation energy distribution that cancels the in-plane distribution.