Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, production systems therefor, and methods of reducing roughness are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a multilayer reflective stack on a substrate comprising a plurality of pairs of alternating layers comprising a first layer and a second layer, the first layer including a first element selected from the group consisting of Si, B, Al, Mg, Zr, Ba, Nb, Ti, Gd, Y, and Ca; and the second layer including a second element selected from the group consisting of Ru, Mo, Ta, Sb, Tc, Nb, Ir, Pt, and Pd. Some EUV mask blanks described herein include interface layer between the first layer and the second layer, the interface layer including an interface element selected from the group consisting of Si, B, C, Al, Mo, and Ru.

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, production systems therefor, and methods of reducing roughness are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a multilayer reflective stack on a substrate comprising a plurality of pairs of alternating layers comprising a first layer and a second layer, the first layer including a first element selected from the group consisting of Si, B, Al, Mg, Zr, Ba, Nb, Ti, Gd, Y, and Ca; and the second layer including a second element selected from the group consisting of Ru, Mo, Ta, Sb, Tc, Nb, Ir, Pt, and Pd. Some EUV mask blanks described herein include interface layer between the first layer and the second layer, the interface layer including an interface element selected from the group consisting of Si, B, C, Al, Mo, and Ru.

Provided is a reflective mask blank with which it is possible to further reduce the shadowing effect of a reflective mask, and also possible to form a fine and highly accurate phase-shift pattern. A reflective mask blank having, in the following order on a substrate, a multilayer reflective film and a phase-shift film that shifts the phase of EUV light, said reflective mask blank characterized in that the phase-shift film has a thin film comprising a metal-containing material that contains: ruthenium (Ru); and at least one element from among chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), (Co), aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), germanium (Ge), niobium (Nb), molybdenum (Mo), tin (Sn), tellurium (Te), hafnium (Hf), tungsten (W), and rhenium (Re).

Provided is a reflective mask blank with which it is possible to further reduce the shadowing effect of a reflective mask, and also possible to form a fine and highly accurate phase-shift pattern. A reflective mask blank having, in the following order on a substrate, a multilayer reflective film and a phase-shift film that shifts the phase of EUV light, said reflective mask blank characterized in that the phase-shift film has a thin film comprising a metal-containing material that contains: ruthenium (Ru); and at least one element from among chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), (Co), aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), germanium (Ge), niobium (Nb), molybdenum (Mo), tin (Sn), tellurium (Te), hafnium (Hf), tungsten (W), and rhenium (Re).

A reflective mask blank includes a substrate, a reflective multilayer (RML) disposed on the substrate, a capping layer disposed on the reflective multilayer, and an absorber layer disposed on the capping layer. The absorber layer has length or width dimensions smaller than the capping layer, and part of the capping layer is exposed by the absorber layer. The dimension of the absorber layer and the hard mask layer ranges between 146 cm to 148 cm. The dimensions of the substrate, the RML, and the capping layer range between 150 cm to 152 cm.

A reflective mask blank includes a substrate, a reflective multilayer (RML) disposed on the substrate, a capping layer disposed on the reflective multilayer, and an absorber layer disposed on the capping layer. The absorber layer has length or width dimensions smaller than the capping layer, and part of the capping layer is exposed by the absorber layer. The dimension of the absorber layer and the hard mask layer ranges between 146 cm to 148 cm. The dimensions of the substrate, the RML, and the capping layer range between 150 cm to 152 cm.

To provide a reflective photomask blank and a reflective photomask that suppress or reduce a shadowing effect of a reflective photomask for patterning transfer using a light having a wavelength in the extreme ultraviolet region as a light source and have resistance to hydrogen radicals. A reflective photomask blank (10) according to this embodiment is a reflective photomask blank used for manufacturing a reflective photomask for pattern transfer using an extreme ultraviolet light as a light source, and the reflective photomask blank has: a substrate (1); a reflective layer (2) containing a multi-layer film formed on the substrate (1); and an absorption layer (4) formed on the reflective layer (2), in which the absorption layer (4) is formed of a material containing tin (Sn) and oxygen (O) in the proportion of 50 at % or more in total, the atomic number ratio (O/Sn) of oxygen (O) to tin (Sn) in the absorption layer (4) exceeds 2.0, and the film thickness of the absorption layer (4) is within the range of 17 nm or more and 45 nm or less.

To provide a reflective photomask blank and a reflective photomask that suppress or reduce a shadowing effect of a reflective photomask for patterning transfer using a light having a wavelength in the extreme ultraviolet region as a light source and have resistance to hydrogen radicals. A reflective photomask blank (10) according to this embodiment is a reflective photomask blank used for manufacturing a reflective photomask for pattern transfer using an extreme ultraviolet light as a light source, and the reflective photomask blank has: a substrate (1); a reflective layer (2) containing a multi-layer film formed on the substrate (1); and an absorption layer (4) formed on the reflective layer (2), in which the absorption layer (4) is formed of a material containing tin (Sn) and oxygen (O) in the proportion of 50 at % or more in total, the atomic number ratio (O/Sn) of oxygen (O) to tin (Sn) in the absorption layer (4) exceeds 2.0, and the film thickness of the absorption layer (4) is within the range of 17 nm or more and 45 nm or less.

There is provided a phase shift mask for extreme-ultraviolet lithography and a method of manufacturing the phase shift mask. The phase shift mask includes a substrate, a reflective layer, device patterns, a frame pattern, or phase shift patterns. The frame pattern is a pattern that includes alignment holes exposing portions of the reflective layer. The phase shift patterns overlap with the device patterns.

Provided is a reflective mask blank comprising a phase shift film having a small change in the phase difference and/or reflectance of the phase shift film even in a case where the film thickness of the phase shift film changes.

A reflective mask blank comprises a multilayer reflective film and a phase shift film in this order on a main surface of a substrate. The phase shift film comprises a lower layer and an uppermost layer. The lower layer is located between the uppermost layer and the multilayer reflective film. The lower layer is formed of a material in which the total content of ruthenium and chromium is 90 atomic % or more, or a material in which the total content of ruthenium, chromium, and nitrogen is 90 atomic % or more. The uppermost layer is formed of a material in which the total content of ruthenium, chromium, and oxygen is 90 atomic % or more.