Methods for manufacturing photolithography masks utilizing interfering beams of radiation

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: selectively removing at least one of the tile portions of the mask film.

Claim 4

The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: coating the mask film with a layer of photoresist, the interfering beams defining the grid of dividing lines in the layer of photoresist; developing the layer of photoresist to produce openings in the layer of photoresist corresponding to the grid of dividing lines; and etching portions of the mask film exposed by developing the photoresist.

Claim 5

The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of: reducing the size of the openings in the layer of photoresist prior to etching the mask film.

Claim 6

The method according to claim 4, wherein reducing the size of the openings in the layer of photoresist comprises the steps of: coating the photoresist with a layer of a material; and etching the material layer, leaving side walls on the openings in the layer of photoresist.

Claim 7

The method according to claim 5, wherein the material layer is an oxide layer.

Claim 8

The method according to claim 6, wherein the oxide layer is a conformal coating of a tetraethylorthosilicate oxide layer and wherein the oxide layer is anisotropically etched.

Claim 9

The method according to claim 1, wherein the dividing lines in the mask film are about 100 nm wide or less.

Claim 10

The method according to claim 1, wherein the pitch of the grid of lines is about one-half of the wavelength of radiation of the interfering beams or less.

Claim 11

The method according to claim 3, wherein the pitch of the grid of lines is about one-quarter of the wavelength of radiation of the interfering beams or less.

Claim 12

The method according to claim 10, wherein the photoresist is a positive/negative hybrid photoresist.

Claim 13

The method according to claim 1, wherein the radiation has a wavelength of about 193 nm or less.

Claim 14

The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: coating the mask film with a layer of photoresist, the interfering beams defining the grid of dividing lines in the layer of photoresist; developing the layer of photoresist to produce openings in the layer of photoresist corresponding to the grid of dividing lines; coating the developed layer of photoresist with an oxide layer; etching the oxide layer so as to leave spacers of the oxide on the walls of the grid openings in the layer of photoresist; selectively removing the photoresist, thereby leaving the oxide spacers; depositing a layer of material over the spacers; planarizing the layer of material for a time sufficient to expose the spacers; and removing the spacers.

Claim 15

The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of: etching the mask film.

Claim 16

The method according to claim 13, wherein the oxide layer is a conformal coating of a tetraethylorthosilicate oxide layer and wherein the oxide layer is anisotropically etched.

Claim 17

The method according to claim 13, wherein the layer of material is polycrystalline silicon.

Claim 18

The method according to claim 13, wherein the planarization is accomplished with chemical-mechanical polishing.

Claim 19

The method according to claim 1, wherein the tile portions have a length and a width of about 100 nm.

Claim 20

The method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of: filling in cracks between tile portions by depositing a layer of an opaque material over the tile portions and the grid lines; and etching the opaque material.

Claim 21

The method according to claim 19, wherein the layer of opaque material is a conformal layer, the opaque material is a metal, and the metal is etched anisotropically.

Claim 22

The method according to claim 1, wherein the mask film is a thin chromium film.

Claim 23

The method according to claim 1, wherein the interfering beams of radiation create a cartesian coordinate grid of dividing lines.

Claim 24

The method according to claim 2, wherein the selective removal of the at least one tile portion of the mask film includes the steps of: exposing at least one portion of the layer of photoresist over at least one tile portion to be removed; developing the photoresist; and etching the mask film to remove the at least one tile.

Claim 25

The method according to claim 1, wherein the grid lines are formed parallel to two perpendicular axes.

Claim 26

The method according to claim 24, wherein grid lines parallel to one of the axes are defined sequentially with grid lines parallel to the other of the axes.

Claim 27

A microlithography mask made by a method comprising the step of: utilizing at least two interfering beams of radiation to define a grid of dividing lines corresponding to an interference pattern produced by the interfering beams on a surface of a photolithography mask coated with a mask film.

Claim 28

A microlithography mask made by a method comprising the step of: utilizing at least two interfering beams of radiation to define a grid of dividing lines corresponding to an interference pattern produced by the interfering beams on a surface of a photolithography mask coated with a mask film.

Claim 31

The method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of: developing the photoresist to expose masking material underlying the grid of lines; etching the masking material exposed by developing the photoresist; removing the remaining photoresist, thereby forming a master photolithography mask; and utilizing the master photolithography mask, a reduction stepper and conventional photolithography techniques to define a grid of dividing lines corresponding to an interference pattern produced by the interfering beams on a surface of a second photolithography mask coated with a film of a masking material.

Claim 32

The method according to claim 28, wherein the grid lines are formed parallel to two perpendicular axes.

Claim 33

The method according to claim 29, wherein grid lines parallel to one of the axes are defined sequentially with grid lines parallel to the other of the axes.