US 12,124,163 B2
Mask defect prevention
Chi-Ta Lu, Yilan County (TW); Chih-Chiang Tu, Tauyen (TW); Cheng-Ming Lin, Yunlin County (TW); Ching-Yueh Chen, Hsinchu (TW); Wei-Chung Hu, Hsinchu (TW); Ting-Chang Hsu, Hsinchu (TW); and Yu-Tung Chen, Hsinchu (TW)
Assigned to TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on Jul. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/359,954.
Application 18/359,954 is a continuation of application No. 17/809,979, filed on Jun. 30, 2022, granted, now 11,860,530.
Application 17/809,979 is a continuation of application No. 17/007,920, filed on Aug. 31, 2020, granted, now 11,402,743, issued on Aug. 2, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0367197 A1, Nov. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. G03F 1/24 (2012.01); G03F 1/36 (2012.01); G03F 1/38 (2012.01); G03F 1/54 (2012.01); G03F 1/64 (2012.01); G03F 7/20 (2006.01)
CPC G03F 1/24 (2013.01) [G03F 1/36 (2013.01); G03F 1/38 (2013.01); G03F 1/54 (2013.01); G03F 1/64 (2013.01); G03F 7/2004 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
 
1. An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photolithography mask assembly, comprising:
a substrate;
a reflector over the substrate;
an absorber layer over the reflector; and
a pellicle over the absorber layer, the pellicle comprising a pellicle frame that defines a pellicle opening,
wherein the absorber layer comprises:
a plurality of main feature areas exposed in the pellicle opening,
a plurality of divider areas among the plurality of main feature areas,
a black border area between the plurality of main feature areas and the pellicle frame, and
a plurality of first venting features in the plurality of divider areas and the black border area.