A thin film made of a material containing a metal and silicon is formed on a light-transmissive substrate. Then, a treatment is performed to modify a main surface of the thin film in advance so that when exposure light having a wavelength of 200 nm or less is accumulatively irradiated on a thin film pattern of a photomask to be produced by patterning the thin film, the transfer characteristic of the thin film pattern does not change more than a predetermined degree. This treatment is performed by carrying out, for example, a heat treatment in an atmosphere containing oxygen at 450° C. to 900° C.

Photomask blank manufacturing method and photomask manufacturing method

A high-pressure processing system for processing a substrate includes a first chamber, a pedestal positioned within the first chamber to support the substrate, a second chamber adjacent the first chamber, a vacuum processing system configured to lower a pressure within the second chamber to near vacuum, a valve assembly between the first chamber and the second chamber to isolate the pressure within the first chamber from the pressure within the second chamber, and a gas delivery system configured to introduce a processing gas into the first chamber and to increase the pressure within the first chamber to at least 10 atmospheres while the processing gas is in the first chamber and while the first chamber is isolated from the second chamber.

High pressure wafer processing systems and related methods

A multi-sub-process cleaning procedure cleans phase shift photomasks and other photomasks and Mo-containing surfaces. In one embodiment, vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light produced by an Xe 2 excimer laser converts oxygen to ozone that is used in a first cleaning operation. The VUV/ozone clean may be followed by a wet SC1 chemical clean and the two-sub-process cleaning procedure reduces phase-shift loss and increases transmission. In another embodiment, the first sub-process may use other means to form a molybdenum oxide on the Mo-containing surface. In another embodiment, the multi-sub-process cleaning operation provides a wet chemical clean such as SC1 or SPM or both, followed by a further chemical or physical treatment such as ozone, baking or electrically ionized water.

Photomask cleaning using vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light cleaning

A photo mask includes a transparent substrate, a light shielding layer pattern over the transparent substrate, and an ion-reaction preventing layer covering the transparent substrate and the light shielding layer pattern.

Photo mask for depressing haze and method for fabricating the same

A main object of the invention is to provide a a manufacturing method of a plurality of pattern formed bodies which makes it possible that even if the pattern formed bodies are continuously manufactured, their property varied patterns are each made into a target pattern form with high precision; and a pattern formed body manufacturing apparatus used in the manufacturing method. To achieve the object, the invention provides a manufacturing method of a plurality of pattern formed bodies comprising a pattern forming step and a foreign matter removing step, wherein the pattern forming step is a step of radiating vacuum-ultraviolet light through a photomask to a pattern forming substrate, varying a surface property by the vacuum-ultraviolet light, and forming a property varied pattern with the property varied on a surface of the pattern forming substrate to form a pattern formed body; the pattern forming step is repeated plural times to manufacture a plurality of the pattern formed bodies; and the foreign matter removing step is a step of removing a foreign matter deposited to the photomask performed between the repeated pattern forming steps.

Manufacturing method of pattern formed body and pattern formed body manufacturing apparatus

Disclosed herein is a device and a method of cleaning a photomask, which prevents haze from being generated on a surface of the photomask during a photolithography process. The photomask is heat treated to remove residual ions on a surface thereof and to induce curing and oxidation of Cr and MoSiON layers, thereby preventing diffusion of the ions. Etching of Cr and MoSiON layers due to a cleaning process is suppressed in order to significantly reduce a change in phase and transmissivity of optical properties of Cr and MoSiON.

Device and method for cleaning photomask

Disclosed is a phase shift mask. Residual ions, which are considered a factor of occurrence of haze which is a growth defect of a surface of a photomask during a photolithography step of a wafer process, are controlled in order to change the content of a surface of the phase shift mask. Diffusion of the residual ions into the surface of the mask is suppressed during a photomask wet cleaning process in order to prevent the haze.

Phase shift mask for preventing haze

Disclosed herein is a method of cleaning a photomask, which prevents haze from being generated on a surface of the photomask during a photolithography process. The photomask is heat treated to remove residual ions on a surface thereof and to induce curing and oxidation of Cr and MoSiON layers, thereby preventing diffusion of the ions. Etching of Cr and MoSiON layers due to a cleaning process is suppressed in order to significantly reduce a change in phase and transmissivity of optical properties of Cr and MoSiON.

Method for cleaning a photmask

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photomask washing device and a washing method that reduce optical characteristic variation of a phase shift mask by carrying out a heat treatment after a washing stage, and then removing residual ions left on the surfaces of the mask to prevent haze. SOLUTION: The photomask washing device includes: a 1st washing device which washes the photomask with an acid series to remove a polymer formed on the photomask; a 2nd washing device which washing the photomask with a base series; a heat-treating device which heat-treats the photomask having been washed with the acid series and base series; a cooling device which cools the photomask of high temperature having been heat-treated; and a robot arm which conveys the photomask. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Photomask washing device and washing method

Disclosed herein is a device for cleaning a photomask, which prevents haze from being generated on a surface of the photomask during a photolithography process. The photomask is heat treated to remove residual ions on a surface thereof and to induce curing and oxidation of Cr and MoSiON layers, thereby preventing diffusion of the ions. Etching of Cr and MoSiON layers due to a cleaning process is suppressed in order to significantly reduce a change in phase and transmissivity of optical properties of Cr and MoSiON.

Hyun Joon Cho

Papers

Device and method for cleaning photomask

Phase shift mask for preventing haze

Method for cleaning a photmask

Photomask washing device and washing method

Device for cleaning a photomask