Extreme Ultraviolet Mask Blank With Alloy Absorber And Method Of Manufacture

Abstract

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, methods for their manufacture and production systems therefor are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise an absorber layer on the capping layer, the absorber layer made from an alloy of at least two absorber materials.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blank comprising:
 a substrate;   a multilayer stack of reflective layers on the substrate, the multilayer stack of reflective layers including a plurality of reflective layers including reflective layer pairs;   a capping layer on the multilayer stack of reflecting layers; and   an absorber layer comprising an alloy selected from the group consisting of platinum-iron, platinum-tin, platinum-SnO 2 , platinum-SnO, platinum-chromium-nickel, platinum-Ni 8 Cr 2 , platinum-chromium nitride, platinum-chromium-nickel, platinum-copper, platinum-tellurium, platinum-zinc telluride, platinum-antimony, platinum-tantalum borate, zinc-iridium, zinc-iron, zinc-chromium-nickel, zinc-Ni 8 Cr 2 , chromium-nickel-SnO, chromium-nickel-copper, chromium-nickel-tellurium, chromium-nickel-tin, chromium-nickel-zinc telluride, chromium-nickel-antimony, Ni 8 Cr 2 -SnO, Ni 8 Cr 2 -copper, Ni 8 Cr 2 -tellurium, Ni 8 Cr 2 -Tin, Ni 8 Cr 2 -zinc telluride, Ni 8 Cr 2 -antimony, Ni 8 Cr 2 -tantalum, Ni 8 Cr 2 -tantalum nitride, Ni 8 Cr 2 -tantalum nitride oxide, Ni 8 Cr 2 -chromium, Ni 8 Cr 2 -chromium nitride, and Ni 8 Cr 2 -tantalum borate.   
     
     
         2 . The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blank of  claim 1 , wherein the absorber layer comprises an alloy selected from the group consisting of platinum-iron, platinum-tin, platinum-SnO 2 , platinum-SnO, platinum-chromium-nickel, platinum-Ni 8 Cr 2 , platinum-chromium nitride, platinum-chromium-nickel, platinum-copper, platinum-tellurium, platinum-zinc telluride, platinum-antimony, and platinum-tantalum borate. 
     
     
         3 . The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blank of  claim 1 , wherein the absorber layer comprises an alloy selected from the group consisting of zinc-telluride-antimony, zinc-telluride-tantalum, zinc-telluride-tantalum-nitride, zinc-telluride-tantalum-nitride-oxide, zinc-telluride-chromium, and zinc-telluride-chromium-nitride, and zinc-telluride-tantalum-borate. 
     
     
         4 . The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blank of  claim 1 , wherein the absorber layer comprises an alloy selected from the group consisting of chromium-nickel-SnO, chromium-nickel-copper, chromium-nickel-tellurium, chromium-nickel-tin, chromium-nickel-zinc telluride, and chromium-nickel-antimony. 
     
     
         5 . The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blank of  claim 1 , wherein the absorber layer comprises an alloy selected from the group consisting of Ni 8 Cr 2 -SnO, Ni 8 Cr 2 -copper, Ni 8 Cr 2 -tellurium, Ni 8 Cr 2 -Tin, Ni 8 Cr 2 -zinc telluride, Ni 8 Cr 2 -antimony, Ni 8 Cr 2 -tantalum, Ni 8 Cr 2 -tantalum nitride, Ni 8 Cr 2 -tantalum nitride oxide, Ni 8 Cr 2 -chromium, Ni 8 Cr 2 -chromium nitride, and Ni 8 Cr 2 -tantalum borate. 
     
     
         6 . The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blank of  claim 1 , wherein the absorber layer has a thickness in a range of 5 nm and 60 nm. 
     
     
         7 . The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blank  claim 1 , wherein the absorber layer has a thickness in a range of 51 nm and 57 nm. 
     
     
         8 . The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blank of  claim 1 , wherein the alloy is selected to effect etch properties of the absorber layer. 
     
     
         9 . A method of manufacturing an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blank comprising:
 providing a substrate;   forming a multilayer stack of reflective layers on the substrate, the multilayer stack of reflective layers including a plurality of reflective layer pairs;   forming a capping layer on the multilayer stack of reflective layers; and   forming an absorber layer on the capping layer, the absorber layer comprising an alloy selected from the group consisting of platinum-iron, platinum-tin, platinum-SnO 2 , platinum-SnO, platinum-chromium-nickel, platinum-Ni 8 Cr 2 , platinum-chromium nitride, platinum-chromium-nickel, platinum-copper, platinum-tellurium, platinum-zinc telluride, platinum-antimony, platinum-tantalum borate, zinc-iridium, zinc-iron, zinc-chromium-nickel, zinc-Ni 8 Cr 2 , chromium-nickel-SnO, chromium-nickel-copper, chromium-nickel-tellurium, chromium-nickel-tin, chromium-nickel-zinc telluride, chromium-nickel-antimony, Ni 8 Cr 2 -SnO, Ni 8 Cr 2 -copper, Ni 8 Cr 2 -tellurium, Ni 8 Cr 2 -tin, Ni 8 Cr 2 -zinc telluride, Ni 8 Cr 2 -antimony, Ni 8 Cr 2 -tantalum, Ni 8 Cr 2 -tantalum nitride, Ni 8 Cr 2 -tantalum nitride oxide, Ni 8 Cr 2 -chromium, Ni 8 Cr 2 -chromium nitride, and Ni 8 Cr 2 -tantalum borate.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the absorber layer comprises an alloy selected from the group consisting of platinum-iron, platinum-tin, platinum-SnO 2 , platinum-SnO, platinum-chromium-nickel, platinum-Ni 8 Cr 2 , platinum-chromium nitride, platinum-chromium-nickel, platinum-copper, platinum-tellurium, platinum-zinc telluride, platinum-antimony, and platinum-tantalum borate. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the absorber layer comprises an alloy selected from the group consisting of zinc-telluride-antimony, zinc-telluride-tantalum, zinc-telluride-tantalum-nitride, zinc-telluride-tantalum-nitride-oxide, zinc-telluride-chromium, and zinc-telluride-chromium-nitride, and zinc-telluride-tantalum-borate. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the absorber layer comprises an alloy selected from the group consisting of chromium-nickel-SnO, chromium-nickel-copper, chromium-nickel-tellurium, chromium-nickel-tin, chromium-nickel-zinc telluride, and chromium-nickel-antimony. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the absorber layer comprises an alloy selected from the group consisting of Ni 8 Cr 2 -SnO, Ni 8 Cr 2 -copper, Ni 8 Cr 2 -tellurium, Ni 8 Cr 2 -tin, Ni 8 Cr 2 -zinc telluride, Ni 8 Cr 2 -antimony, Ni 8 Cr 2 -tantalum, Ni 8 Cr 2 -tantalum nitride, Ni 8 Cr 2 -tantalum nitride oxide, Ni 8 Cr 2 -chromium, Ni 8 Cr 2 -chromium nitride, and Ni 8 Cr 2 -tantalum borate. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the absorber layer has a thickness in a range of 5 nm and 60 nm. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the absorber layer is formed in a physical deposition chamber having a first cathode comprising a first absorber material and a second cathode comprising a second absorber material. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the absorber layer is formed in a physical deposition chamber having a first cathode comprising a first absorber material, a second cathode comprising a second absorber material, a third cathode comprising a third absorber material, a fourth cathode comprising a fourth absorber material, and a fifth cathode comprising a fifth absorber material.