Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Takashi Iizuka

Yasuaki Fukuda

Yutaka Watanabe

Masahito Niibe

Masami Hayashida

Shigetaro Ogura

Masayuki Suzuki

Tsutomu Ikeda

Tomoko Maruyama

A multi-layer reflection mirror for soft X-ray to vacuum ultraviolet ray, comprises a substrate, a plurality of first layers, and a plurality of second layers formed on the substrate alternately with the first layers. The first layers primarily consists of at least one of single elements, such as ruthenium, or of a boride carbide, silicate, nitride oxide of a transition metal. The second layers primarily consists of at least one of compounds of carbon, silicon (e.g. carbide, nitride and oxide of silicon), boron (e.g. carbide, nitride and oxide of boron), beryllium (e.g. carbide, nitride and oxide of beryllium) and aluminum (e.g. carbide, nitride and oxide of aluminum).

Multi-layer reflection mirror for soft X-ray to vacuum ultraviolet ray

An X-ray mask support has an X-ray permeable film and a support frame supporting the film and the X-ray permeable film mainly includes a single-layer film having different densities in its thickness direction or a multi-layer laminate film of layers having different densities, but being constituted of compounds having the same main component. The X-ray mask support can be used as an X-ray mask structure for X-ray lithography by providing an X-ray absorber on the X-ray permeable film. The X-ray permeable film exhibits a high permeability for X-rays and visible/near infrared rays and does not bend even by X-ray irradiation, thereby achieving X-ray exposure of high precision and high resolution.

Semiconductor substrate including a single or multi-layer film having

A mask structure for X-ray exposure comprises a retaining frame, a supporting frame, a mask support and an absorber pattern. The mask structure possesses a function for detecting a state change of the mask structure from its steady state.

Mask structure for x-ray exposure and x-ray exposure device and method

A multi-layer reflection mirror for soft X-ray to vacuum ultraviolet ray, comprises a substrate, a plurality of first layers, and a plurality of second layers formed on the substrate alternately with the first layers. The first layer primarily consists of at least one of single elements, such as ruthenium or of a boride, carbide, silicide, nitride oxide of a transition metal. The second layer primarily consists of at least one of compounds of carbon, silicon (e.g. carbide, nitride and oxide of silicon), boron (e.g. carbide, nitride and oxide of boron), beryllium (e.g. carbide, nitride and oxide of beryllium) and aluminum (e.g. carbide, nitride and oxide of aluminum).

A method and device for imaging an object illuminated by an X-ray beam, through a zone plate, is disclosed. A concave mirror with a multilayered film is disposed on a path of the X-ray beam to reflect the same and collect the same onto the object.

X-ray microscope

Disclosed are a reflection mirror for reflecting a received radiation beam to produce a reflection beam, a reflection device with such a mirror, a scanning system with such a mirror and an exposure apparatus with such a mirror. A radiation beam is inputted to the reflection mirror with an angle of incidence which changes with position on the reflection mirror, wherein the reflection mirror has a multilayered film effective to provide an increased relative reflectivity with respect to a predetermined wavelength of the reflection beam, and wherein a layer of the multilayered film has a thickness which changes with position so as to substantially avoid a shift of the wavelength of the reflection beam dependent upon the angle of incidence.

Reflection device

A method and apparatus for removing unclear matter on an optical element used with a radiation beam is disclosed. A filter is used to introduce light of a desired wavelength into a chamber in which the optical element is accommodated; a gas supplying device is used to supply a reactive gas which is reactable with the unclear matter on the surface of the optical element; and a vacuum-evacuating device is used to vacuum-evacuate the inside of the chamber.

Apparatus for cleaning an optical element for use with a radiation beam

A reflection type mask usable to print a pattern upon a semiconductor wafer by use of soft X-rays or otherwise is disclosed. A reflective surface is formed by a multilayered film which is formed on a substrate by layering different materials having different refractive indices in consideration of Bragg diffraction and Fresnel reflection. A non-reflective portion is formed on the reflecting surface to provide a desired pattern. Alternatively, a pattern comprising a multilayered structure may be formed upon a non-reflective substrate. The mask of the present invention assures pattern printing of high contrast.

Growing community of inventors

Atsugi, Japan

Takashi Iizuka