A support frame for a pellicle, in which a pellicle film is adhered to the front surface of an aluminum-alloy frame body, and a transparent substrate is adhered to the rear surface of the frame body. A recessed groove is formed in the rear surface of the frame body, the recessed groove extending along the periphery of the frame body, and a vent hole is formed from the outer peripheral surface of the frame body to the inner surface of the recessed groove. With this configuration, deformation of the support frame can be suppressed when the support frame is removed from the transparent substrate.

A resin having a small linear thermal expansion coefficient and a low absorbance is provided. The resin is characterized by including at least one structure selected from structures represented by the following general formulae (1) and (2):

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A pattern forming method includes: applying an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation- sensitive resin composition onto a substrate to form a resist film; forming an upper layer film on the resist film, using a composition for forming an upper layer film; exposing the resist film having the upper layer film formed thereon; and developing the exposed resist film using a developer including an organic solvent to form a pattern. The composition for forming an upper layer film contains a resin having a repeating unit (a) with a ClogP value of 2.85 or more and a compound (b) with a ClogP of 1.30 or less, and the receding contact angle of the upper layer film with water is 70 degrees or more, a resist pattern formed by the pattern forming method, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device, including the pattern forming method.

The inventive concepts provide a method for forming a hard mask pattern. The method includes forming a hard mask layer on an etch target layer disposed on a substrate, forming a photoresist pattern having an opening exposing one region of the hard mask layer, performing an oxygen ion implantation process on the one region using the photoresist pattern as a mask to form an oxidized portion in the one region, and patterning the hard mask layer using the oxidized portion as an etch mask.

A method includes depositing a first dielectric layer over and along sidewalls of a first semiconductor fin and a second semiconductor fin, depositing a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer, recessing the first dielectric layer to define a dummy fin between the first semiconductor fin and the second semiconductor fin, forming a cap layer over top surfaces and sidewalls of the first semiconductor fin and the second semiconductor fin, wherein the forming the cap layer comprises depositing the cap layer in a furnace at process temperatures higher than a first temperature, and lowering the temperature of the furnace, wherein during the lowering the temperature of the furnace, the pressure in the furnace is raised to and maintained at 10 torr or higher until the temperature of the furnace drops below the first temperature.

Thin tin oxide films are used as spacers in semiconductor device manufacturing. In one implementation, thin tin oxide film is conformally deposited onto a semiconductor substrate having an exposed layer of a first material (e.g., silicon oxide or silicon nitride) and a plurality of protruding features comprising a second material (e.g., silicon or carbon). For example, 10-100 nm thick tin oxide layer can be deposited using atomic layer deposition. Next, tin oxide film is removed from horizontal surfaces, without being completely removed from the sidewalls of the protruding features. Next, the material of protruding features is etched away, leaving tin oxide spacers on the substrate. This is followed by etching the unprotected portions of the first material, without removal of the spacers. Next, underlying layer is etched, and spacers are removed. Tin-containing particles can be removed from processing chambers by converting them to volatile tin hydride.

Disclosed are methods of advanced process control (APC) for particular processes. A particular process (e.g., a photolithography or etch process) is performed on a wafer to create a pattern of features. A parameter is measured on a target feature and the value of the parameter is used for APC. However, instead of performing APC based directly on the actual parameter value, APC is performed based on an adjusted parameter value. Specifically, an offset amount (which is previously determined based on an average of a distribution of parameter values across all of the features) is applied to the actual parameter value to acquire an adjusted parameter value, which better represents the majority of features in the pattern. Performing this APC method minimizes dimension variations from pattern to pattern each time the same pattern is generated on another region of the same wafer or on a different wafer using the particular process.

An attached body production method having a sealing material disposing step for disposing a sealing material on a mold and/or a molded product so that a molded surface of the molded product is surrounded by the sealing material when the mold and the molded product are attached together; a pressure reduction step for reducing the pressure of the atmosphere around the mold and the molded product in a state where the mold and the molded product are separated from each other; a sealing step for putting the mold and the molded product on top of each other, and sealing a space between the mold 1 and the molded product with the sealing material; and a first pressure-application step for applying pressure with a fluid in a state where the space between the mold and the molded product is sealed, wherein the sealing material has fluidity in at least the sealing step, and is configured to attach to only one of the mold and the molded product when the molded product is released from the mold.

A reticle enclosure includes a base including a first surface, a cover including a second surface and coupled to the base with the first surface facing the second surface. The base and the cover form an internal space that includes a reticle. The reticle enclosure includes restraining mechanisms arranged in the internal space and for securing the reticle, and structures disposed adjacent the reticle in the internal space. The structures enclose the reticle at least partially, and limit passage of contaminants between the internal space and an external environment of the reticle enclosure. The structures include barriers disposed on the first and second surfaces. In other examples, a padding is installed in gaps between the barriers and the first and second surfaces. In other examples, the structures include wall structures disposed on the first and second surfaces and between the restraining mechanisms.

The present invention quickly calculates values of optimal excitation parameters which are set in lenses in multiple stages. A multi charged particle beam adjustment method includes forming a multi charged particle beam, calculating, for each of lenses in two or more stages disposed corresponding to object lenses in two or more stages, a first rate of change and a second rate of change in response to change in at least an excitation parameter, the first rate of change being a rate of change in a demagnification level of a beam image of the multi charged particle beam, the second rate of change being a rate of change in a rotation level of the beam image, and calculating a first amount of correction to the excitation parameter of each of the lenses based on an amount of correction to the demagnification level and the rotation level of the beam image, the first rate of change, and the second rate of change.