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.

Embodiments described herein relate to apparatus and methods for removing one or more films from a photomask to create a black border and one or more pellicle anchor areas thereon. A photomask substrate is exposed by removing the one or more films in the black border and pellicle anchor areas. The black border prevents a pattern on the photomask from overlapping a pattern on a substrate being processed. To create the black border and pellicle anchor areas, a laser beam is projected through a lens and focused on a surface of the films. The films are ablated by the laser beam without damaging the photomask substrate.

A method of fabricating a mask blank includes depositing a reflective multilayer over a substrate, depositing a capping layer over the reflective multilayer, depositing an absorber layer over the capping layer, and depositing an anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer over the absorber layer. The ARC layer is a single material film.

A method of fabricating a mask blank includes depositing a reflective multilayer over a substrate, depositing a capping layer over the reflective multilayer, depositing an absorber layer over the capping layer, and depositing an anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer over the absorber layer. The ARC layer is a single material film.

In an embodiment, a photomask includes: a substrate over a first conductive layer, the substrate formed of a low thermal expansion material (LTEM); a second conductive layer over the first conductive layer; a reflective film stack over the substrate; a capping layer over the reflective film stack; an absorption layer over the capping layer; and an antireflection (ARC) layer over the absorption layer, where the ARC layer and the absorption layer have a plurality of openings in a first region exposing the capping layer, where the ARC layer, the absorption layer, the capping layer, and the reflective film stack have a trench in a second region exposing the second conductive layer.

In an embodiment, a photomask includes: a substrate over a first conductive layer, the substrate formed of a low thermal expansion material (LTEM); a second conductive layer over the first conductive layer; a reflective film stack over the substrate; a capping layer over the reflective film stack; an absorption layer over the capping layer; and an antireflection (ARC) layer over the absorption layer, where the ARC layer and the absorption layer have a plurality of openings in a first region exposing the capping layer, where the ARC layer, the absorption layer, the capping layer, and the reflective film stack have a trench in a second region exposing the second conductive layer.

A method includes depositing a first work function layer over a gate dielectric layer, forming a first hard mask layer over the first work function layer, forming a photoresist mask over the first hard mask layer, where forming the photoresist mask includes depositing a bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) layer over the first hard mask layer, etching a portion of the BARC layer, etching a portion of the first hard mask layer using the BARC layer as a mask, etching a portion of the first work function layer to expose a portion of the gate dielectric layer through the first hard mask layer and the first work function layer, removing the first hard mask layer, and depositing a second work function layer over the first work function layer and over the portion of the gate dielectric layer.

A method includes depositing a first work function layer over a gate dielectric layer, forming a first hard mask layer over the first work function layer, forming a photoresist mask over the first hard mask layer, where forming the photoresist mask includes depositing a bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) layer over the first hard mask layer, etching a portion of the BARC layer, etching a portion of the first hard mask layer using the BARC layer as a mask, etching a portion of the first work function layer to expose a portion of the gate dielectric layer through the first hard mask layer and the first work function layer, removing the first hard mask layer, and depositing a second work function layer over the first work function layer and over the portion of the gate dielectric layer.

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.

In an embodiment, a photomask includes: a substrate over a first conductive layer, the substrate formed of a low thermal expansion material (LTEM); a second conductive layer over the first conductive layer; a reflective film stack over the substrate; a capping layer over the reflective film stack; an absorption layer over the capping layer; and an antireflection (ARC) layer over the absorption layer, where the ARC layer and the absorption layer have a plurality of openings in a first region exposing the capping layer, where the ARC layer, the absorption layer, the capping layer, and the reflective film stack have a trench in a second region exposing the second conductive layer.