Method For Mask Fabrication And Repair

A mask repairing process comprising:

• receiving a mask for extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL), the mask including:
• a low thermal expansion material (LTEM) substrate having a first region and a second region;
• a reflective multilayer (ML) over the LTEM substrate in the first region and the second region;
• a defect-repairing-enhancement (DRE) layer over the reflective ML in the first region and the second region;
• an absorption layer over the DRE layer in the second region;
• a defect;
• and
• a phase-defect region resulting from the defect and intruding the first region.
• determining a location and a shape of the phase-defect region;
• and
• removing a portion or portions of the DRE layer in the first region according to the location and the shape of the phase defect region to compensate the effect of the phase-defect region.

A mask comprising:

• a low thermal expansion material (LTEM) substrate;
• a reflective multilayer (ML) over the surface of the LTEM substrate;
• a defect-repairing-enhancement (DRE) layer over the reflective ML;
• a patterned absorption layer over the DRE layer to create a reflective region and an absorptive region;
• a defect;
• a phase-defect region resulting from the defect and intruding the reflective region;
• and
• a DRE region where the absorption layer and the DRE layer are removed near the phase-defect region.