An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask includes a multilayer Mo/Si stack comprising alternating Mo and Si layers disposed over a first major surface of a mask substrate, a capping layer made of ruthenium (Ru) disposed over the multilayer Mo/Si stack, and an absorber layer on the capping layer. The EUV mask includes a circuit pattern area and a particle attractive area, and the capping layer is exposed at bottoms of patterns in the particle attractive area.

Lithographic compositions for use as wet-removable silicon gap fill layers are provided. The method of using these compositions involves utilizing a silicon gap fill layer over topographic features on a substrate. The silicon gap fill layer can either be directly applied to the substrate, or it can be applied to any intermediate layer(s) that may be applied to the substrate. The preferred silicon gap fill layers are formed from spin-coatable, polymeric compositions with high silicon content, and these layers exhibit good gap fill and planarization performance and high oxygen etch resistance.

Lithographic compositions for use as wet-removable silicon gap fill layers are provided. The method of using these compositions involves utilizing a silicon gap fill layer over topographic features on a substrate. The silicon gap fill layer can either be directly applied to the substrate, or it can be applied to any intermediate layer(s) that may be applied to the substrate. The preferred silicon gap fill layers are formed from spin-coatable, polymeric compositions with high silicon content, and these layers exhibit good gap fill and planarization performance and high oxygen etch resistance.

An anti-reflective article includes a substrate including a surface and a bulk, and an arrangement of anti-reflective nanostructures along the surface of the substrate, each anti-reflective nanostructure of the arrangement of anti-reflective nanostructures being supported by the bulk of the substrate, each anti-reflective nanostructure of the arrangement of anti-reflective nanostructure tapering from the bulk of the substrate to define a respective peak. At least some of the anti-reflective nanostructures of the arrangement of anti-reflective nanostructures are linked with an adjacent anti-reflective nanostructure of the arrangement of anti-reflective nanostructures via a respective interconnection. The respective interconnections are in addition to the bulk of the substrate supporting the anti-reflective nanostructures. The respective interconnections are disposed at or above a midpoint between the peaks of the anti-reflective nanostructures and the bulk of the substrate.

An anti-reflective article includes a substrate including a surface and a bulk, and an arrangement of anti-reflective nanostructures along the surface of the substrate, each anti-reflective nanostructure of the arrangement of anti-reflective nanostructures being supported by the bulk of the substrate, each anti-reflective nanostructure of the arrangement of anti-reflective nanostructure tapering from the bulk of the substrate to define a respective peak. At least some of the anti-reflective nanostructures of the arrangement of anti-reflective nanostructures are linked with an adjacent anti-reflective nanostructure of the arrangement of anti-reflective nanostructures via a respective interconnection. The respective interconnections are in addition to the bulk of the substrate supporting the anti-reflective nanostructures. The respective interconnections are disposed at or above a midpoint between the peaks of the anti-reflective nanostructures and the bulk of the substrate.

An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask includes a multilayer Mo/Si stack comprising alternating Mo and Si layers disposed over a first major surface of a mask substrate, a capping layer made of ruthenium (Ru) disposed over the multilayer Mo/Si stack, and an absorber layer on the capping layer. The EUV mask includes a circuit pattern area and a particle attractive area, and the capping layer is exposed at bottoms of patterns in the particle attractive area.

An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask includes a multilayer Mo/Si stack comprising alternating Mo and Si layers disposed over a first major surface of a mask substrate, a capping layer made of ruthenium (Ru) disposed over the multilayer Mo/Si stack, and an absorber layer on the capping layer. The EUV mask includes a circuit pattern area and a particle attractive area, and the capping layer is exposed at bottoms of patterns in the particle attractive area.

A reflection mode photomask includes a substrate. The reflection mode photomask further includes a reflective multilayer over the substrate. The reflection mode photomask further includes a plurality of absorber stacks over the reflective multilayer, wherein each absorber stack of the plurality of absorber stacks has an etch stop layer, an absorber layer and an ARC layer, wherein a ratio of a thickness of the ARC layer to that of the etch stop layer is in a range from about 1:1 to about 1:2.5, and a sidewall roughness of each absorber stack of the plurality of absorber stacks is smaller than 3 nanometers (nm).

A reflection mode photomask includes a substrate. The reflection mode photomask further includes a reflective multilayer over the substrate. The reflection mode photomask further includes a plurality of absorber stacks over the reflective multilayer, wherein each absorber stack of the plurality of absorber stacks has an etch stop layer, an absorber layer and an ARC layer, wherein a ratio of a thickness of the ARC layer to that of the etch stop layer is in a range from about 1:1 to about 1:2.5, and a sidewall roughness of each absorber stack of the plurality of absorber stacks is smaller than 3 nanometers (nm).

Provided is a photomask blank including, on a substrate, a processing film and a film made of a material containing chromium which is formed to be in contact with the processing film and has a three-layer structure of first, second and third layers, each of which contains chromium, oxygen, and nitrogen, wherein the first layer has a chromium content of 40 atomic % or less, an oxygen content of 50 atomic % or more, a nitrogen content of 10 atomic % or less, and a thickness of 20 nm or more, the second layer has a chromium content of 50 atomic % or more, an oxygen content of 20 atomic % or less, and a nitrogen content of 30 atomic % or more, and the third layer has a chromium content of 40 atomic % or less, an oxygen content of 50 atomic % or more, and a nitrogen content of 10 atomic % or less.