Lithographic requirements and physicochemical characterization of mask blanks

Microlithography is truly an ubiquitous tool in the semiconductor industry. With the advent of electron-beam, X-ray and deep UV exposure systems, submicron features will be produced routinely. At the forefront of the technology is the application of microlithography to the fabrication of impeccable masks, capable of recreating perfect images to be transferred to the wafers. As a lithographic system, mask blank material must meet requirements which is in keeping with the advancing technology. In this paper, we will discuss some of the physicochemical characteristics of mask blank as a thin film system which consists of the coated resist and the sputtered chrome, using various techniques such as Auger spectroscopy, Gel permeation chromotography, ellipsometry and CARIS (constant angle reflection interference spectroscopy) . These techniques constitute the main part of the analytical test which guarantees controlled conditions for functional tests which will, in turn, guarantee successful outcome in a production mode.