Reticle and method of fabricating reticle

Abstract

In a reticle, a semi-transparent film pattern in place of a light blocking film pattern is used as a mask pattern having a size within a certain range, whereby an exposure system can be improved in resolution limit and faithful pattern transfer can be realized with a constant light quantity. A reticle may be of a stacked layer structure which comprises a shift film for providing a different optical path to exposure light, a mask substrate formed on the top or bottom of the shift film, and a transmissivity ratio adjustment layer having a predetermined transmissivity ratio to the exposure light. The material of a phase shifter may be adjusted in amplitude transmissivity ratio so that a shifter width for effectively improving a contrast can be made large and an accuracy necessary for a shifter width can be loosened. The mask pattern may include a semi-transparent film pattern which is made of silicon, a silicon compound, a mixture containing silicon, germanium, a germanium compound or a mixture containing germanium to provide a different optical path from that of the transparent part with respect to lithographic light. A silicon compound, a mixture containing silicon, germanium, a germanium compound or a mixture containing germanium is controlled in its composition ratio to form a semi-transparent film pattern on a transparent substrate.