Improved reticle and reticle blank

Abstract

There is provided a reticle or a reticle blank comprising a low deformation material, wherein the reticle or reticle blank material has a Zero Crossing Temperature (ZCT) profile, and a ZCT slope profile, wherein at least one of the ZCT profile and the ZCT slope profile is non-uniform. Also provided is a method of mitigating non-correctable deformations in a reticle or reticle blank, the method including providing a reticle or reticle blank having at least one of a Zero Crossing Temperature (ZCT) profile and a ZCT slope profile which is non-uniform across the reticle or reticle blank.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.