IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,510,818
Granted Patent B2
US 12,510,818 · App. 17/923,212 · Granted Dec 30, 2025

Reflective mask blank and reflective mask

Inventors: Kenjiro Ichikawa (Tokyo, JP); Ayumi Goda (Tokyo, JP); Hideaki Nakano (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: TEKSCEND PHOTOMASK CORP.
G03F1/24G03F1/48G03F1/54G03F1/60G03F1/80G03F7/004
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,510,818
App. No.
17/923,212
Granted
Dec 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

There are provided a reflective mask blank in which a fine absorption film pattern is formed even when a high-absorbent material is used as an absorption film of an EUV mask, whereby the shadowing effect can be reduced and electron beam repair etching can be performed and a reflective mask blank for producing the same. A reflective mask blank ( 10 ) according to this embodiment includes: a substrate ( 1 ); a multi-layer reflective film ( 2 ) reflecting an EUV light having a multi-layer structure formed on the substrate ( 1 ); a capping layer ( 3 ) protecting the multi-layer reflective film ( 2 ) formed on the multi-layer reflective film ( 2 ); and an absorption film ( 4 ) absorbing the EUV light formed on the capping layer ( 3 ), in which the absorption film ( 4 ) contains 50% by atom or more of elements constituting at least one of tin oxide (SnO) and indium oxide (InO) and contains a material easy to be etched by a fluorine-based gas or a chlorine-based gas.

Claims (30)

1 . A reflective mask blank comprising:

a substrate;

a reflective film configured to reflect an EUV light having a multi-layer structure formed on the substrate;

a protective film configured to protect the reflective film formed on the reflective film; and

an absorption film configured to absorb the EUV light formed on the protective film, wherein

the absorption film contains 50% by atom or more of elements constituting tin oxide or indium oxide and contains at least one selected from the group consisting of antimony, iridium, osmium, rhenium, tungsten, germanium, vanadium, selenium, molybdenum, titanium, and aluminum, and oxides, nitrides, oxynitrides, and boron nitrides thereof, as a material able to be etched by a fluorine-based gas or a chlorine-based gas.

2 . The reflective mask blank according to claim 1 , wherein

a film thickness of the absorption film is 45 nm or less, and

an OD value (Optical Density) is 1.0 or more.

3 . The reflective mask blank according to claim 2 , wherein

an atomic number ratio (O/Sn) of oxygen (O) to tin (Sn) in the absorption film is within a range of 1.5 or more and 2.5 or less, and

an atomic number ratio (O/In) of oxygen (O) to indium (In) in the absorption film is within a range of 1.0 or more and 2.0 or less.

4 . The reflective mask blank according to claim 2 , wherein the absorption film contains a material having a higher repair etching rate in electron beam repair than a repair etching rate in electron beam repair of an absorption film containing only at least one of tin oxide and indium oxide.

5 . The reflective mask blank according to claim 1 , wherein

an atomic number ratio (O/Sn) of oxygen (O) to tin (Sn) in the absorption film is within a range of 1.5 or more and 2.5 or less, and

an atomic number ratio (O/In) of oxygen (O) to indium (In) in the absorption film is within a range of 1.0 or more and 2.0 or less.

6 . The reflective mask blank according to claim 1 , wherein the absorption film contains a material having a higher repair etching rate in electron beam repair than a repair etching rate in electron beam repair of an absorption film containing only at least one of tin oxide and indium oxide.

7 . A reflective mask comprising:

a substrate;

a reflective film configured to reflect an EUV light having a multi-layer structure formed on the substrate;

a protective film configured to protect the reflective film formed on the reflective film; and

an absorption film configured to absorb the EUV light formed on the protective film, wherein

the absorption film contains 50% by atom or more of elements constituting tin oxide or indium oxide and contains at least one selected from the group consisting of antimony, iridium, osmium, rhenium, tungsten, germanium, vanadium, selenium, molybdenum, titanium, and aluminum, and oxides, nitrides, oxynitrides, and boron nitrides thereof, as a material able to be etched by a fluorine-based gas or a chlorine-based gas.

8 . The reflective mask according to claim 7 , wherein

a film thickness of the absorption film is 45 nm or less, and

an OD value (Optical Density) is 1.0 or more.

9 . The reflective mask according to claim 7 , wherein

an atomic number ratio (O/Sn) of oxygen (O) to tin (Sn) in the absorption film is within a range of 1.5 or more and 2.5 or less, and

an atomic number ratio (O/In) of oxygen (O) to indium (In) in the absorption film is within a range of 1.0 or more and 2.0 or less.

10 . The reflective mask according to claim 7 , wherein the absorption film contains a material having a higher repair etching rate in electron beam repair than a repair etching rate in electron beam repair of an absorption film containing only at least one of tin oxide and indium oxide.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 10, 2025
From: TOPPAN PHOTOMASK CO., LTD.
To: TEKSCEND PHOTOMASK CORP.
Reel/Frame 069870/0131 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2022
From: ICHIKAWA, KENJIRO; GODA, AYUMI; NAKANO, HIDEAKI
To: TOPPAN PHOTOMASK CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 061652/0815 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-085399 · May 14, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230176467A1 · Jun 8, 2023
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