Photomask blank and photomask

A photomask blank comprising a rectangular transparent substrate, a light-shielding film of an optionally transition metal-containing silicon material deposited thereon, and an etching mask film of a chromium compound base material deposited on the light-shielding film for enabling precise processing of the light-shielding film, said etching mask film being to be entirely stripped in any step until the photomask blank is processed into a photomask, wherein

• said etching mask film consists of multiple layers of different composition which are deposited by reactive sputtering, the multiple layers including, in combination, a first layer of a material which imparts a compression stress when deposited on the substrate as a single composition layer and a second layer of a material which imparts a tensile stress when deposited on the substrate as a single composition layer.