A mask blank with phase shift film where changes in transmittance and phase shift to an exposure light of an ArF excimer laser are suppressed. The film transmits light of an ArF excimer laser at a transmittance of 2% or more and less than 10% and generates a phase difference of 150 degrees or more and 190 degrees or less between the exposure light transmitted through the phase shift film and the exposure light transmitted through the air for the same distance as a thickness of the phase shift film. The film has a stacked lower layer and upper layer, the lower layer containing metal and silicon and substantially free of oxygen. The upper layer containing metal, silicon, nitrogen, and oxygen. The lower layer is thinner than the upper layer, and the ratio of metal to metal and silicon of the upper layer is less than the lower layer.

A mask blank with phase shift film where changes in transmittance and phase shift to an exposure light of an ArF excimer laser are suppressed. The film transmits light of an ArF excimer laser at a transmittance of 2% or more and less than 10% and generates a phase difference of 150 degrees or more and 190 degrees or less between the exposure light transmitted through the phase shift film and the exposure light transmitted through the air for the same distance as a thickness of the phase shift film. The film has a stacked lower layer and upper layer, the lower layer containing metal and silicon and substantially free of oxygen. The upper layer containing metal, silicon, nitrogen, and oxygen. The lower layer is thinner than the upper layer, and the ratio of metal to metal and silicon of the upper layer is less than the lower layer.

The present invention relates to a photomask and a method for manufacturing a column spacer for a color filter using the same, and according to one aspect of the present invention, a photomask is provided, which comprises a central region having a first transmittance, a first perimeter region surrounding the central region and having a second transmittance lower than the first transmittance, and a second perimeter region surrounding the first perimeter region and having the first transmittance.

A reflective mask includes a substrate, a light absorbing layer over the substrate, a reflective layer over the light absorbing layer, and an absorption pattern over the reflective layer. The reflective layer covers a first portion of the light absorbing layer, and a second portion of the light absorbing layer is free from coverage by the reflective layer.

A mask blank wherein damage to a light semitransmissive film due to dry etching for removing a light shielding film is inhibited. Mask blank 100 has a light semitransmissive film 2 and light shielding film 4 laminated on a main surface of a transparent substrate 1. Film 2 can be dry etched with a fluorine-based gas. Film 4 has laminated lower layer 41 and upper layer 42. Lower layer 41 contained tantalum and id substantially free from hafnium, zirconium, and oxygen. Upper layer 42 contains tantalum and one or more of hafnium and zirconium and is substantially free from oxygen excluding the surface layer of the upper layer 42. Between the light semitransmissive film 2 and lower layer 41 is an etching stopper film 3 having etch selectivity with respect to the lower layer 41 in dry etching with an etching gas containing the chlorine-based gas and no oxygen gas.

A mask blank wherein damage to a light semitransmissive film due to dry etching for removing a light shielding film is inhibited. Mask blank 100 has a light semitransmissive film 2 and light shielding film 4 laminated on a main surface of a transparent substrate 1. Film 2 can be dry etched with a fluorine-based gas. Film 4 has laminated lower layer 41 and upper layer 42. Lower layer 41 contained tantalum and id substantially free from hafnium, zirconium, and oxygen. Upper layer 42 contains tantalum and one or more of hafnium and zirconium and is substantially free from oxygen excluding the surface layer of the upper layer 42. Between the light semitransmissive film 2 and lower layer 41 is an etching stopper film 3 having etch selectivity with respect to the lower layer 41 in dry etching with an etching gas containing the chlorine-based gas and no oxygen gas.

A mask (M) for EUV lithography includes: a substrate (7), a first surface region (A.sub.1) formed by a surface (8a) of a multilayer coating (8) embodied to reflect EUV radiation (27), said surface (8a) facing away from the substrate (7), and a second surface region (A.sub.2) formed by a surface (18a) of a further coating (18) embodied to reflect DUV radiation (28) and to suppress the reflection of EUV radiation (27), said surface (18a) facing away from the substrate (7). The further coating is a multilayer coating (18). Also disclosed are an EUV lithography apparatus that includes such a mask (M) and a method for determining a contrast proportion caused by DUV radiation when imaging a mask (M) onto a light-sensitive layer.

Provided is a substrate with multilayer reflective film used to manufacture a reflective mask having a multilayer reflective film having high reflectance with respect to exposure light and little film stress. The substrate with multilayer reflective film is provided with a multilayer reflective film for reflecting exposure light, the substrate with multilayer reflective film comprising a multilayer film obtained by building up an alternating stack of low refractive index layers and high refractive index layers on a substrate, and the multilayer reflective film contains krypton (Kr).

Provided is a substrate with multilayer reflective film used to manufacture a reflective mask having a multilayer reflective film having high reflectance with respect to exposure light and little film stress. The substrate with multilayer reflective film is provided with a multilayer reflective film for reflecting exposure light, the substrate with multilayer reflective film comprising a multilayer film obtained by building up an alternating stack of low refractive index layers and high refractive index layers on a substrate, and the multilayer reflective film contains krypton (Kr).

Provided is a substrate with a thin film for manufacturing a reflective mask that at least does not adversely affect performance of the reflective mask even when a thin film of a substrate with the thin film such as a reflective mask blank comprises impurities.

A substrate with a thin film comprises: a substrate; and at least one thin film formed on a main surface of the substrate. The thin film comprises a matrix material constituting the thin film and a small-amount material other than the matrix material. When secondary ion intensity emitted from the thin film is measured by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), a ratio (I.sub.2/I.sub.1) of secondary ion intensity (I.sub.2) of at least one of the small-amount material in the thin film to secondary ion intensity (I.sub.1) of the matrix material is more than 0 and 0.300 or less.