This application relates to a pellicle for extreme ultraviolet lithography containing amorphous carbon and a manufacturing method thereof. In one aspect, the pellicle includes a substrate having an opening formed in a central portion, a support layer formed on the substrate to cover the opening, and a pellicle layer formed on the support layer and containing amorphous carbon. The pellicle layer may include a core layer formed on the support layer, and a capping layer formed on the core layer and may further include a buffer layer. At least one of the core layer, the capping layer, or the buffer layer may be an amorphous carbon layer.

A catalyst including: a first layer including a transition metal; a base layer; and an interlayer, wherein the interlayer is disposed between the base layer and the first layer is disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for preparing a catalyst as well as for synthesizing graphene, a pellicle produced using the catalyst or methods disclosed herein, as well as a lithography apparatus including such a pellicle.

There is provided a photomask including a pellicle. The photomask may include a substrate and a pellicle, and mask patterns may be disposed on the substrate. The pellicle may include a carbon nanotube membrane providing a plurality of pores. The pellicle may include a coating layer on the carbon nanotube membrane.

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.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally include apparatus and methods for removing adhesive residues from a surface of a lithography mask. In particular, the processing systems described herein provide for the delivery of a solvent to a discrete plurality of locations on the surface of the lithography mask to facilitate the removal of adhesive residue therefrom. In one embodiment, a method of processing a substrate includes positioning the substrate on a substrate support of a processing system, sealing individual ones of a plurality of cleaning units to a surface of the substrate at a corresponding plurality of locations, heating a cleaning fluid to a temperature between about 50° C. and about 150° C., flowing the cleaning fluid to, and thereafter, from, the plurality of cleaning units, and exposing the surface of the substrate to the cleaning fluid at the plurality of locations.

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.

A method of predicting deflection of a pellicle which will occur during movement of the pellicle in a lithographic apparatus, the method including receiving parameters regarding properties of the pellicle and receiving parameters regarding the expected movement of the pellicle. The parameters are applied to a model which predicts deflection of the pellicle as a function of those parameters. The model includes a plurality of sub-models which relate to different components of deflection of the pellicle. An output of the model may be used to predict.

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 reflective optical element (17), in particular for an illumination optical unit of a projection exposure apparatus includes: a structured surface (25a) that preferably forms a grating structure (29), and a reflective coating (36) that is applied to the structured surface (25a). The reflective coating (36) covers the structured surface (25a) discontinuously, and the reflective optical element (17) has at least one protective layer (37) that covers the structured surface (25a) continuously. Also disclosed are an illumination optical unit (4) for a projection exposure apparatus (1) including at least one reflective optical element (17) of this type, to a projection exposure apparatus (1) including an illumination optical unit (4) of this type, and to a method for producing a protective layer (37) on a reflective optical element (17) of this type.