Photolithographic mask having a structure region covered by a thin protective coating of only a few atomic layers and methods for the fabrication of the mask including alcvd to form the thin protective coating

Abstract

A photolithographic mask for patterning a photosensitive material, in particular on a wafer, has at least one structure region for imaging a structure on the photosensitive material, and an absorber structure for absorbing incident radiation. At least one structure region is provided and has at least one thin protective coating of only a few atomic layers made of chemically and mechanically resistive material selected from AlO, TaO, ZrO, and HfOformed by atomic layer chemical vapor deposition (ALCVD) so that the protective coating constitutes a negligible alteration of nominal or critical dimensions for the structure region, and in which additional absorption or reflection losses are negligibly low. In this way, the photolithographic mask can be cleaned chemically and/or mechanically, without the structure regions being attacked and damaged by the chemical and/or mechanical cleaning media. Furthermore, a plurality of methods are possible for fabricating this photolithographic mask.