A mask blank for a phase shift mask having a phase shift film on a transparent substrate. The phase shift film generates a phase difference of 150 degrees or more and 200 degrees or less and transmits exposure light of an ArF excimer laser at a transmittance of 10% or more. The film has a low transmitting layer and a high transmitting layer, stacked alternately to form a total of six or more layers from a side of the transparent substrate. The low transmitting layer is made of a material containing silicon and nitrogen and having a nitrogen content of 50 atom % or more. The high transmitting layer is made of a material containing silicon and oxygen and having an oxygen content of 50 atom % or more. The low transmitting layer has a thickness greater than that of the high transmitting layer, which has a thickness of 4 nm or less.

A semiconductor structure includes: first and second active regions arranged in a first grid oriented in a first direction; and gate electrodes arranged spaced apart in a second grid and on corresponding ones of the active regions, the second grid being oriented in a second direction, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction; wherein: the first and second active regions are separated, relative to the second direction, by a gap; each gate electrode includes a first segment and a gate extension; each gate extension extends, relative to the second direction, beyond the corresponding active region and into the gap by a height H.sub.EXT, where H.sub.EXT(150 nm); and each gate extension, relative to a plane defined by the first and second directions, is substantially rectangular. In an embodiment, the height H.sub.EXT is H.sub.EXT(100 nm).

The present invention discloses a method for quickly establishing lithography process condition by a pre-compensation value, comprising: firstly determining a reference process condition of masks of which parameters are same, and then determining an optimum process condition of the first mask; thereafter, calculating a ratio of the optimum process condition of the first mask deviating from the reference process condition, wherein if the ratio is equal to or larger than a set threshold, the first mask is inspected, and if the ratio is less than the set threshold, an optimum process condition of the second mask is determined according to the ratio and the reference process condition of the second mask; and by analogy, determining optimum process conditions of the rest masks. The method of the present invention can quickly establish a lithograph process condition, reduce the trial production time for determining the optimum defocus amount and exposure amount.

The present invention discloses a method for quickly establishing lithography process condition by a pre-compensation value, comprising: firstly determining a reference process condition of masks of which parameters are same, and then determining an optimum process condition of the first mask; thereafter, calculating a ratio of the optimum process condition of the first mask deviating from the reference process condition, wherein if the ratio is equal to or larger than a set threshold, the first mask is inspected, and if the ratio is less than the set threshold, an optimum process condition of the second mask is determined according to the ratio and the reference process condition of the second mask; and by analogy, determining optimum process conditions of the rest masks. The method of the present invention can quickly establish a lithograph process condition, reduce the trial production time for determining the optimum defocus amount and exposure amount.

The present invention provides a halftone mask comprising an assist pattern and a manufacturing method of the halftone mask, which uses an ArF excimer laser as an exposing source, is used for a projection exposure by an off axis illumination, does not resolve the assist pattern while keeping the focal depth magnification effect as the assist pattern, and may form a transferred image having high contrast of a main pattern. A photomask is a photomask comprising the main pattern which is transferred to a transfer-target surface by the projection exposure and the assist pattern which is formed nearby the main pattern and not transferred, characterized in that the main pattern and the assist pattern are each constituted from a semi-transparent film made of the same material, a retardation of 180 is generated between the light transmitting through the main pattern and the light transmitting through a transparent region of a transparent substrate, and a predetermined retardation within the scope of 70 to 115 is generated between the light transmitting through the assist pattern and the light transmitting through the transparent region of the transparent substrate.

The present invention provides a halftone mask comprising an assist pattern and a manufacturing method of the halftone mask, which uses an ArF excimer laser as an exposing source, is used for a projection exposure by an off axis illumination, does not resolve the assist pattern while keeping the focal depth magnification effect as the assist pattern, and may form a transferred image having high contrast of a main pattern. A photomask is a photomask comprising the main pattern which is transferred to a transfer-target surface by the projection exposure and the assist pattern which is formed nearby the main pattern and not transferred, characterized in that the main pattern and the assist pattern are each constituted from a semi-transparent film made of the same material, a retardation of 180 is generated between the light transmitting through the main pattern and the light transmitting through a transparent region of a transparent substrate, and a predetermined retardation within the scope of 70 to 115 is generated between the light transmitting through the assist pattern and the light transmitting through the transparent region of the transparent substrate.

In a mask blank having a structure in which a light-semitransmissive film and a light-shielding film are laminated on a main surface of a transparent substrate, the light-semitransmissive film is made of a material that can be dry-etched with an etching gas containing a fluorine-based gas, the light-shielding film is made of a material that contains tantalum and one or more elements selected from hafnium and zirconium and contains no oxygen except in a surface layer thereof, an etching stopper film is provided between the light-semitransmissive film and the light-shielding film, and the etching stopper film is made of a material that contains chromium with an oxygen content of 20 at % 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.

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.

A semiconductor structure includes: first and second active regions arranged in a first grid oriented in a first direction; and gate electrodes arranged spaced apart in a second grid and on corresponding ones of the active regions, the second grid being oriented in a second direction, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction; wherein: the first and second active regions are separated, relative to the second direction, by a gap; each gate electrode includes a first segment and a gate extension; each gate extension extends, relative to the second direction, beyond the corresponding active region and into the gap by a height H.sub.EXT, where H.sub.EXT(150 nm); and each gate extension, relative to a plane defined by the first and second directions, is substantially rectangular. In an embodiment, the height H.sub.EXT is H.sub.EXT(100 nm).