Provided are a mask blank, a phase shift mask, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. A mask blank comprises a light-shielding film on a transparent substrate. The light-shielding film is made of a material comprising silicon and nitrogen. An internal region of the light-shielding film has a maximum peak at a binding energy in a range in which a Si2p narrow spectrum obtained by analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is more than 100 eV and 101.5 eV or less. The internal region of the light-shielding film is a region obtained by excluding a back surface side region on the transparent substrate side and a front surface side region opposite to the transparent substrate.

Provided are a mask blank, a phase shift mask, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. A mask blank comprises a light-shielding film on a transparent substrate. The light-shielding film is made of a material comprising silicon and nitrogen. An internal region of the light-shielding film has a maximum peak at a binding energy in a range in which a Si2p narrow spectrum obtained by analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is more than 100 eV and 101.5 eV or less. The internal region of the light-shielding film is a region obtained by excluding a back surface side region on the transparent substrate side and a front surface side region opposite to the transparent substrate.

A phase-shift mask for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography may be provided. The phase-shift mask may include a substrate, a reflection layer on the substrate, and phase-shift patterns including at least one metal nitride on the reflection layer. The at least one metal nitride may include at least one of TaN, TiN, ZrN, HfN, CrN, VN, NbN, MoN, WN, AlN, GaN, ScN, and YN.

A patterning device carries a pattern of features to be transferred onto a substrate using a lithographic apparatus. The patterning device is free of light absorber material, at least in an area. The pattern of features in the area may include a dense array of lines, trenches, dots or holes. Individual lines, holes, etc. are defined in at least one direction by pairs of edges between regions of different phase in the patterning device. A distance between the pair of edges in the at least one direction is at least 15% smaller than a size of the individual feature to be formed on the substrate once adjusted by a magnification factor, if any, of the lithographic apparatus. The patterning device may be adapted for use in EUV lithography. The patterning device may be adapted for use in a negative tone resist and development process.

The present disclosure provides a phase shift mask. The phase shift mask includes a transparent substrate; an etch stop layer disposed on the substrate; and a tunable transparent material layer disposed on the etch stop layer and patterned to have an opening, wherein the tunable transparent material layer is designed to provide phase shift and has a transmittance greater than 90%.

A phase shift mask enables much smaller scale of electronic circuit pattern. A phase shift mask comprises a transparent substrate, a phase shift pattern arranged on the transparent substrate to change a phase of light that penetrates the transparent substrate, and a metal coating layer arranged on at least a part of a surface of the phase shift pattern.

A mask blank includes: a light transmitting substrate; a first layer disposed on the light transmitting substrate, and including a chromium compound that contains chromium and at least one element selected from oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon; and a second layer disposed on the first layer as an outermost layer from among the first and second layers, and including a silicon compound that contains silicon and at least one element selected from oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon, an alloy of a transition metal and silicon, or a transition metal and silicon compound that contains a transition metal, silicon, and at least one element selected from oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon. The thickness of the first layer is 45 nm or less, and the thickness of the second layer is 5 nm or greater. An optical density of a stack composed of the first layer and the second layer is 3 or greater.