A lithography system includes an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source, a reticle stage, a reflection layer, and a plurality of light permeable protrusions. The EUV light source is configured for generating an EUV light beam. The reticle stage is configured for holding a reticle with a front surface of the reticle facing in a downward direction. The reflection layer is below the reticle stage. The light permeable protrusions are formed on the reflection layer. Each of the light permeable protrusions includes a bouncing surface facing in a direction that forms an acute angle with the downward direction. A first portion of the EUV light beam from the EUV light source passes through the bouncing surface of each of the light permeable protrusions to the reflection layer and is reflected to the reticle by the reflection layer.

A method and system for fracturing or mask data preparation or optical proximity correction or proximity effect correction or mask process correction is disclosed in which a set of shaped beam shots is determined that is capable of forming a pattern on a surface, where the set of shots provides different dosages to different parts of the pattern, and where the dose margin from the set of shots is calculated. A method for forming patterns on a surface is also disclosed.

An electron beam irradiation apparatus includes a first electrode being annular, arranged along the optical axis of the electron beam, at the downstream from the deflector, and in the magnetic field of the objective lens, to which a first potential being positive is variably applied, a second electrode being annular, arranged in the magnetic field of the objective lens and between the deflector and the first electrode, to which a second potential being positive and higher than the first potential is applied, and a third electrode being annular, arranged in the magnetic field of the objective lens and to be opposite to the second electrode with respect to the first electrode, to which a third potential lower than the first potential is applied.

A lithography apparatus is provided. The lithography apparatus a reticle having a first surface and a second surface facing each other, and a pattern region formed on the first surface, a reticle stage facing the second surface of the reticle, the reticle stage to chuck the reticle, a protection conductor within a chamber housing the reticle and the reticle stage; and a power source to supply a voltage to the protection conductor.

A method for mask process correction or forming a pattern on a reticle using charged particle beam lithography is disclosed, where the reticle is to be used in an optical lithographic process to form a pattern on a wafer, where sensitivity of the wafer pattern is calculated with respect to changes in dimension of the reticle pattern, and where pattern exposure information is modified to increase edge slope of the reticle pattern where sensitivity of the wafer pattern is high. A method for fracturing or mask data preparation is also disclosed, where pattern exposure information is determined that can form a pattern on a reticle using charged particle beam lithography, where the reticle is to be used in an optical lithographic process to form a pattern on a wafer, and where sensitivity of the wafer pattern is calculated with respect to changes in dimension of the reticle pattern.

A method and system for: forming a first rectangular shape with photomask writing equipment, using a first sub-threshold dosage on a photoresist layer of a photomask substrate; forming an overlapping second rectangular shape with the photomask writing equipment using a second sub-threshold dosage on the photoresist layer, the second rectangular shape being rotated relative to the first rectangular shape to form one of: a hexagonal overlap area and an octagonal overlap area, that exposes the photoresist layer to at least a threshold dosage; and forming a photomask, based on developing the exposed photoresist layer, to provide optical transmission corresponding to the one of: the hexagonal overlap area of at least the threshold dosage and the octagonal overlap area of at least the threshold dosage, for use by a photolithography system to write any of a contact, a via, or a curvilinear shape on an integrated circuit substrate.

A method and system for: forming a first rectangular shape with photomask writing equipment, using a first sub-threshold dosage on a photoresist layer of a photomask substrate; forming an overlapping second rectangular shape with the photomask writing equipment using a second sub-threshold dosage on the photoresist layer, the second rectangular shape being rotated relative to the first rectangular shape to form one of: a hexagonal overlap area and an octagonal overlap area, that exposes the photoresist layer to at least a threshold dosage; and forming a photomask, based on developing the exposed photoresist layer, to provide optical transmission corresponding to the one of: the hexagonal overlap area of at least the threshold dosage and the octagonal overlap area of at least the threshold dosage, for use by a photolithography system to write any of a contact, a via, or a curvilinear shape on an integrated circuit substrate.

A pattern forming method including a step of coating a substrate with an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition and forming an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive film; a step of simultaneously irradiating the actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive film with a plurality of electron beams; and a step of developing the actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive film after the irradiation with electron beams is provided. The composition contains a resin (A), a photoacid generator (B), and an acid diffusion control agent (C) and a molar ratio (Qp) between the photoacid generator (B) and the acid diffusion control agent (C), which is represented by Equation (1) is 0.3 or greater.

Qp(molar ratio)=Acid diffusion control agent (C)/Photoacid generator (B) (1)

A method for mask process correction or forming a pattern on a reticle using charged particle beam lithography is disclosed, where the reticle is to be used in an optical lithographic process to form a pattern on a wafer, where sensitivity of the wafer pattern is calculated with respect to changes in dimension of the reticle pattern, and where pattern exposure information is modified to increase edge slope of the reticle pattern where sensitivity of the wafer pattern is high. A method for fracturing or mask data preparation is also disclosed, where pattern exposure information is determined that can form a pattern on a reticle using charged particle beam lithography, where the reticle is to be used in an optical lithographic process to form a pattern on a wafer, and where sensitivity of the wafer pattern is calculated with respect to changes in dimension of the reticle pattern.

A method of fabricating a reflective photomask is provided. The method includes sequentially forming a multi-layered reflective layer, an absorption layer and an anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer on a substrate. ARC patterns are formed to expose a portion of the absorption layer by directly irradiating an ion beam onto a portion of the ARC layer to etch the portion of the ARC layer. The exposed portion of the absorption layer is etched using the ARC patterns as etch masks to form absorption patterns exposing a portion of the multi-layered reflective layer.