X‐Ray Lithography Mask Technology

Abstract

A high yield process will be described for fabricating large area free‐standing membranes of thickness down to 0.5 μm for use as an x‐ray lithography mask substrate. The choice of material, method of preparation, and technique for separating the membrane from its substrate will be discussed. Techniques for generating x‐ray absorber patterns with submicron feature size are reported. These methods result in absorber geometries which are uniquely suited to x‐ray lithography mask applications. Measurements of the mask patterning distortion and the temporal dimensional stability of a completed x‐ray mask are reported.