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.

The disclosure addresses provision of a pellicle demounting method having excellent property with respect to reduction of contamination of a photomask. A method of demounting a pellicle, the method is provided which includes: providing a stack including a photomask, a pellicle frame, and a pellicle film that are arranged in this order; providing an electrode; and a demounting step including disposing the stack and the electrode such that the pellicle film in the stack and the electrode face each other, and applying a voltage to the electrode to generate an electrostatic attractive force, which attracts the pellicle film in a direction toward the electrode, thereby demounting the pellicle film from the photomask in the stack.

The disclosure addresses provision of a pellicle demounting method having excellent property with respect to reduction of contamination of a photomask. A method of demounting a pellicle, the method is provided which includes: providing a stack including a photomask, a pellicle frame, and a pellicle film that are arranged in this order; providing an electrode; and a demounting step including disposing the stack and the electrode such that the pellicle film in the stack and the electrode face each other, and applying a voltage to the electrode to generate an electrostatic attractive force, which attracts the pellicle film in a direction toward the electrode, thereby demounting the pellicle film from the photomask in the stack.

An electroconductive-film-coated substrate includes a glass substrate and an electroconductive film disposed on one main surface of the glass substrate. The electroconductive film has an inclined portion in a peripheral edge. A distance from a position in the inclined portion where a thickness of the electroconductive film is 10% of a film thickness of a center of the electroconductive film to an edge end of the glass substrate is 3.00 mm or less. A distance from an end of the inclined portion to the edge end of the glass substrate is longer than 0.00 mm.

An electroconductive-film-coated substrate includes a glass substrate and an electroconductive film disposed on one main surface of the glass substrate. The electroconductive film has an inclined portion in a peripheral edge. A distance from a position in the inclined portion where a thickness of the electroconductive film is 10% of a film thickness of a center of the electroconductive film to an edge end of the glass substrate is 3.00 mm or less. A distance from an end of the inclined portion to the edge end of the glass substrate is longer than 0.00 mm.

An overlay mark includes a first, a second, a third, and a fourth component. The first component is located in a first region of the first overlay mark and includes a plurality of gratings that extend in a first direction. The second component is located in a second region of the first overlay mark and includes a plurality of gratings that extend in the first direction. The third component is located in a third region of the first overlay mark and includes a plurality of gratings that extend in a second direction different from the first direction. The fourth component is located in a fourth region of the first overlay mark and includes a plurality of gratings that extend in the second direction. The first region is aligned with the second region. The third region is aligned with the fourth region.

An extreme ultraviolet mask including a substrate, a reflective multilayer stack on the substrate and a multi-layer patterned absorber layer on the reflective multilayer stack is provided. Disclosed embodiments include an absorber layer that includes an alloy comprising ruthenium (Ru), chromium (Cr), platinum (Pt), gold (Au), iridium (Ir), titanium (Ti), niobium (Nb), rhodium (Rh), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W) or palladium (Pd), and at least one alloying element. The at least one alloying element includes ruthenium (Ru), chromium (Cr), tantalum (Ta), platinum (Pt), gold (Au), iridium (Ir), titanium (Ti), niobium (Nb), rhodium (Rh), molybdenum (Mo), hafnium (Hf), boron (B), nitrogen (N), silicon (Si), zirconium (Zr) or vanadium (V). Other embodiments include a multi-layer patterned absorber structure with layers that include an alloy and an alloying element, where at least two of the layers of the multi-layer structure have different compositions.

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, methods for their manufacture and production systems therefor are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a substrate; a multilayer stack of reflective layers on the substrate; a capping layer on the multilayer stack of reflecting layers; and an absorber layer on the capping layer, the absorber layer comprising an alloy of molybdenum (Mo) and antimony (Sb).

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, methods for their manufacture and production systems therefor are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a substrate; a multilayer stack of reflective layers on the substrate; a capping layer on the multilayer stack of reflecting layers; and an absorber layer on the capping layer, the absorber layer comprising an alloy of molybdenum (Mo) and antimony (Sb).

A laser annealing method performed on a reflective photomask may include preparing a reflective photomask including a pattern area and a border area surrounding the pattern area and irradiating a laser beam onto the border area of the reflective photomask. The irradiating of the laser beam may include split-irradiating a plurality of laser beam spots onto the border area. Each of the plurality of laser beam spots may be shaped using a beam shaper. The beam shaper may include a blind area, a transparent area at a center of the blind area, and a semitransparent area between the blind area and the transparent area. Each of the plurality of laser beam spots may include a center portion passing through the transparent area and having a uniform energy profile and an edge portion passing through the semitransparent area and having an inclined energy profile.