	US 11,754,917 B2
	Extreme ultraviolet mask blank with multilayer absorber and method of manufacture
Vibhu Jindal, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 12, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/227,717.
Application 17/227,717 is a continuation of application No. 16/821,444, filed on Mar. 17, 2020, granted, now 11,022,876.
Application 16/821,444 is a continuation of application No. 15/652,499, filed on Jul. 18, 2017, granted, now 10,747,102.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/367,388, filed on Jul. 27, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0082925 A1, Mar. 17, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G03F 1/24 (2012.01); G03F 1/58 (2012.01); G03F 1/52 (2012.01); G03F 1/60 (2012.01)

CPC G03F 1/24 (2013.01) [G03F 1/58 (2013.01); G03F 1/52 (2013.01); G03F 1/60 (2013.01)]

20 Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blank comprising:

forming a multilayer stack of reflective layers on a 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 a multilayer stack of absorber layers on the capping layer, the multilayer stack of absorber layers including a plurality of absorber layer pairs, each pair comprising two different absorber materials having extinction coefficient (k) values that are different and index of refraction values (n) that are different, wherein the absorber layer pairs comprise a first layer including an absorber material selected from tantalum nitride (TaN) and tantalum nitride oxide (TaNO), and a second layer including an absorber material selected from the group consisting of zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), chromium-nickel alloys, Ni₈Cr₁₂, copper (Cu) and zinc telluride (ZnTe).