18517796. REFLECTIVE MASK BLANK, REFLECTIVE MASK, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING REFLECTIVE MASK BLANK, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING REFLECTIVE MASK simplified abstract (AGC Inc.)
REFLECTIVE MASK BLANK, REFLECTIVE MASK, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING REFLECTIVE MASK BLANK, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING REFLECTIVE MASK
Organization Name
Inventor(s)
REFLECTIVE MASK BLANK, REFLECTIVE MASK, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING REFLECTIVE MASK BLANK, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING REFLECTIVE MASK - A simplified explanation of the abstract
This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18517796 titled 'REFLECTIVE MASK BLANK, REFLECTIVE MASK, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING REFLECTIVE MASK BLANK, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING REFLECTIVE MASK
Simplified Explanation
The patent application describes a reflective mask blank for EUV light lithography, which includes a substrate, a multilayer reflective film, a protection film, and a phase shift film containing Ir as a main component. The phase shift film shifts the phase of the EUV light and has specific optical properties to enhance performance.
- The reflective mask blank includes:
- Substrate
- Multilayer reflective film
- Protection film
- Phase shift film with Ir as a main component
- The phase shift film has specific optical properties:
- Ratio of peak intensity of diffracted light in a certain angle range
- Refractive index and extinction coefficient to the EUV light
- Potential applications of this technology:
- EUV lithography for semiconductor manufacturing
- High-resolution imaging in advanced optical systems
- Problems solved by this technology:
- Enhancing the performance of reflective mask blanks for EUV lithography
- Improving the quality and precision of lithographic processes
- Benefits of this technology:
- Increased efficiency in semiconductor manufacturing
- Enhanced resolution and accuracy in optical systems
- Potential commercial applications of this technology:
- Semiconductor industry for advanced lithography processes
- Optical system manufacturers for high-performance imaging applications
- Possible prior art:
- Previous patents related to phase shift films in lithography
- Research papers on reflective mask blanks for EUV light lithography
Questions:
1. How does the phase shift film containing Ir improve the performance of the reflective mask blank for EUV lithography? 2. What specific advantages does the protection film provide in enhancing the durability of the multilayer reflective film in the mask blank?
Original Abstract Submitted
A reflective mask blank includes a substrate; a multilayer reflective film that reflects EUV light; a protection film that protects the multilayer reflective film; and a phase shift film that shifts a phase of the EUV light. The phase shift film contains Ir as a main component. A ratio of a maximum value of an intensity of a peak of diffracted light from the phase shift film in a 2θ range of 35° to 45° to an average value of an intensity of the diffracted light in a 2θ range of 55° to 60° measured using an XRD method with a CuKα ray, upon being irradiated with the EUV light with an incident angle of θ, is 1.0 or more and 30 or less. A refractive index and an extinction coefficient of the phase shift film to the EUV light are 0.925 or less, and 0.030 or more, respectively.
