IP Library Granted Patent US 12,455,501
Granted Patent B2
US 12,455,501 · App. 17/898,749 · Granted Oct 28, 2025

Blank mask and photomask using the same

Inventors: GeonGon Lee (Seoul, KR); Suk Young Choi (Seoul, KR); Hyung-joo Lee (Seoul, KR); Sung Hoon Son (Seoul, KR); Seong Yoon Kim (Seoul, KR); Min Gyo Jeong (Seoul, KR); Taewan Kim (Seoul, KR); Inkyun Shin (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: SK enpulse Co., Ltd.
G03F1/32G03F1/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,455,501
App. No.
17/898,749
Granted
Oct 28, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A blank mask including a transparent substrate and a light shielding film disposed on the transparent substrate, wherein the light shielding film includes a transition metal and at least one selected from the group consisting of oxygen and nitrogen, and wherein a surface of the light shielding film has a first contact angle of 40° to 45° measured by using diiodo-methane as a first liquid contacting the surface of the light shielding film, is disclosed.

Claims (37)

1. A blank mask comprising a transparent substrate and a light shielding film disposed on the transparent substrate,

wherein the light shielding film comprises a transition metal and at least one selected from the group consisting of oxygen and nitrogen,

wherein the light shielding film comprises a first light shielding layer and a second light shielding layer disposed on the first light shielding layer,

wherein an amount of the transition metal in the first light shielding layer is 35 to 55 at %,

wherein an amount of oxygen in the first light shielding layer is 23 to 33 at %,

wherein an amount of the transition metal in the second light shielding layer is greater than an amount of the transition metal in the first light shielding layer, and

wherein a surface of the light shielding film has a first contact angle of 40° to 45° measured by using diiodo-methane as a first liquid contacting the surface of the light shielding film.

2. The blank mask of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the light shielding film has an Rsk value, which is a skewness value, of −1 to 0.

3. The blank mask of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the light shielding film has an Rku value, which is kurtosis value, of 7 or less.

4. The blank mask of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a dispersion component of a surface energy of the surface of the light shielding film to the surface energy of the surface of the light shielding film is 0.84 to 0.865.

5. The blank mask of claim 4 , wherein the dispersion component of the surface energy of the surface of the light shielding film is 37 mN/m to 40 mN/m.

6. The blank mask of claim 4 , wherein the light shielding film has the surface energy of 43 mN/m to 47 mN/m.

7. The blank mask of claim 1 , wherein the first contact angle divided by a second contact angle of the light shielding film measured by using pure water as a second liquid contacting the surface of the light shielding film is 0.58 to 0.604.

8. The blank mask of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the light shielding film has an Rku value of 2 or more.

9. The blank mask of claim 1 , wherein the transition metal further comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of Cr, Ta, Ti, and Hf.

10. A photomask comprising a transparent substrate and a light shielding pattern film disposed on the transparent substrate,

wherein the light shielding pattern film comprises a transition metal and at least one selected from the group consisting of oxygen and nitrogen,

wherein the light shielding film comprises a first light shielding layer and a second light shielding layer disposed on the first light shielding layer,

wherein an amount of the transition metal in the first light shielding layer is 35 to 55 at %,

wherein an amount of oxygen in the first light shielding layer is 23 to 33 at %,

wherein an amount of the transition metal in the second light shielding layer is greater than an amount of the transition metal in the first light shielding layer, and

wherein an upper surface of the light shielding pattern film has a contact angle of 40° to 45° measured by using diiodo-methane as a liquid contacting the surface of the light shielding film.

11. The photomask of claim 10 , wherein the upper surface of the light shielding pattern film has an Rsk value, which is a skewness value, of −1 to 0.

12. The photomask of claim 10 , wherein the upper surface of the light shielding pattern film has an Rku value, which is kurtosis value, of 7 or less.

13. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor element comprising:

preparing a light source, a photomask, and a semiconductor wafer, onto which a resist film has been applied;

selectively transmitting a light incident from the light source through the photomask onto the semiconductor wafer; and

developing a pattern on the semiconductor wafer,

wherein the photomask comprises a transparent substrate and a light shielding pattern film disposed on the transparent substrate,

wherein the light shielding pattern film comprises a transition metal and at least one selected from the group consisting of oxygen and nitrogen,

wherein the light shielding film comprises a first light shielding layer and a second light shielding layer disposed on the first light shielding layer,

wherein an amount of the transition metal in the first light shielding layer is 35 to 55 at %,

wherein an amount of oxygen in the first light shielding layer is 23 to 33 at %,

wherein an amount of the transition metal in the second light shielding layer is greater than an amount of the transition metal in the first light shielding layer, and

wherein an upper surface of the light shielding pattern film has a contact angle of 40° to 45° measured by using diiodo-methane as a liquid contacting the surface of the light shielding film.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the upper surface of the light shielding pattern film has an Rsk value, which is a skewness value, of −1 to 0.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the upper surface of the light shielding pattern film has an Rku value, which is kurtosis value, of 7 or less.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 5, 2026
From: SK ENPULSE CO., LTD.
To: LUMINAMASK CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 074478/0876 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 9, 2023
From: SKC SOLMICS CO., LTD.
To: SK ENPULSE CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 065509/0991 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 30, 2022
From: LEE, GEONGON; CHOI, SUK YOUNG; LEE, HYUNG-JOO; SON, SUNG HOON; KIM, SEONG YOON; JEONG, MIN GYO; KIM, TAEWAN; SHIN, INKYUN
To: SKC SOLMICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 060940/0977 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2021-0117417 · Sep 3, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230083755A1 · Mar 16, 2023
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