A method for manufacturing a membrane assembly for EUV lithography, the method including: providing a stack having a planar substrate and at least one membrane layer, wherein the planar substrate includes an inner region and a border region around the inner region; and selectively removing the inner region of the planar substrate. The membrane assembly includes: a membrane formed from the at least one membrane layer; and a border holding the membrane, the border formed from the border region of the planar substrate. The stack is provided with a mechanical protection material configured to mechanically protect the border region during the selectively removing the inner region of the planar substrate.

In a method of cleaning a photo mask, the photo mask is placed on a support such that a pattered surface faces down, and an adhesive sheet is applied to edges of a backside surface of the photo mask.

In a method of cleaning a photo mask, the photo mask is placed on a support such that a pattered surface faces down, and an adhesive sheet is applied to edges of a backside surface of the photo mask.

This application relates to a pellicle for extreme ultraviolet lithography used in a lithography process using extreme ultraviolet rays. In one aspect, the pellicle includes a pellicle layer formed of an M-α material in which M is combined with α. Here, M is one of Si, Zr, Mo, Ru, Y, W, Ti, Ir, or Nb, and a is at least two of B, N, C, O, or F.

This application relates to a pellicle for extreme ultraviolet lithography used in a lithography process using extreme ultraviolet rays. In one aspect, the pellicle includes a pellicle layer formed of an M-α material in which M is combined with α. Here, M is one of Si, Zr, Mo, Ru, Y, W, Ti, Ir, or Nb, and a is at least two of B, N, C, O, or F.

The present invention provides a frame-shaped pellicle frame having an upper end surface on which a pellicle film is provided and a lower end surface facing a photomask, characterized in that the inner surface of the pellicle frame has a region where a roughness curve kurtosis (Rku) is 3.0 or less, and also provides a pellicle, an exposure original plate with a pellicle and an exposure method, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device or a liquid crystal display board. The present invention can provide a pellicle frame that prevents scattered light derived from the frame and facilitates inspection of foreign matter adhered to the frame surface, and can also provide a pellicle using the pellicle frame.

The present invention provides a frame-shaped pellicle frame having an upper end surface on which a pellicle film is provided and a lower end surface facing a photomask, characterized in that the inner surface of the pellicle frame has a region where a roughness curve kurtosis (Rku) is 3.0 or less, and also provides a pellicle, an exposure original plate with a pellicle and an exposure method, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device or a liquid crystal display board. The present invention can provide a pellicle frame that prevents scattered light derived from the frame and facilitates inspection of foreign matter adhered to the frame surface, and can also provide a pellicle using the pellicle frame.

A method and apparatus for removing a pellicle from a photomask wherein the adhesive between the pellicle frame and photomask is cooled sufficiently to allow the adhesive property of the adhesive to diminish to the point where the adhesive will release from the photomask with little or no mechanical force and leaving minimal adhesive on the photomask. The adhesive is cooled by way of manifolds containing coolant being brought in contact with the pellicle frame or by way of a coolant spray nozzles spraying coolant directly onto the pellicle frame.

A method and apparatus for removing a pellicle from a photomask wherein the adhesive between the pellicle frame and photomask is cooled sufficiently to allow the adhesive property of the adhesive to diminish to the point where the adhesive will release from the photomask with little or no mechanical force and leaving minimal adhesive on the photomask. The adhesive is cooled by way of manifolds containing coolant being brought in contact with the pellicle frame or by way of a coolant spray nozzles spraying coolant directly onto the pellicle frame.

A pellicle for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) reflective mask includes a pellicle frame and a main membrane attached to the pellicle frame. The main membrane includes a plurality of nanotubes, each of which includes a single nanotube or a co-axial nanotube, and the single nanotube or an outermost nanotube of the co-axial nanotube is a non-carbon based nanotube.