US 12,292,680 B2
Method and apparatuses for disposing of excess material of a photolithographic mask
Michael Budach, Hanau (DE); Christof Baur, Darmstadt (DE); Klaus Edinger, Lorsch (DE); and Tristan Bret, Rixheim (FR)
Assigned to Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH, Oberkochen (DE)
Filed by Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH, Oberkochen (DE)
Filed on Jun. 10, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/837,419.
Application 17/837,419 is a continuation of application No. 16/700,180, filed on Dec. 2, 2019, granted, now 11,874,598.
Application 16/700,180 is a continuation of application No. PCT/EP2018/069425, filed on Jul. 17, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 102017212567.5 (DE), filed on Jul. 21, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0317565 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. G03F 1/82 (2012.01); B08B 6/00 (2006.01); B08B 7/02 (2006.01)
CPC G03F 1/82 (2013.01) [B08B 6/00 (2013.01); B08B 7/026 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for removing a part of a photolithographic mask, comprising:
providing an etching gas;
providing a particle beam incident on a surface of the photolithographic mask;
providing an additive gas; and
etching a material of the part of the photolithographic mask based at least in part on using the etching gas, the additive gas, and the particle beam,
wherein the material comprises chromium nitride, and
wherein the additive gas comprises a reducing agent.
 
17. A method for removing a buffer layer of a photolithographic mask, the buffer layer being disposed between a capping layer and a radiation absorption layer of the photolithographic mask, the capping layer is configured to protect a multilayer film or structure of the photolithographic mask, the buffer layer is configured to protect the multilayer film or structure when structuring the radiation absorption layer, the method comprising:
providing an etching gas;
providing a particle beam incident on a surface of the photolithographic mask;
providing an additive gas that comprises a reducing agent; and
etching a material of the buffer layer of the photolithographic mask based at least in part on using the etching gas, the additive gas, and the particle beam,
wherein the material comprises chromium nitride.