Mask for manufacturing semiconductor devices and method of manufacture thereof

An integrated circuit device projection exposure method for transferring a circuit pattern, on a first major surface of a transparent mask substrate, onto a photoresist film on an integrated circuit wafer through an optical projection system, the method comprising:

• (a) mounting the mask substrate on a first position in the projection system, the circuit pattern having a first light transmission region and a second light transmission region for substantially reversing the phase of a transmitted light without substantially attenuating the amplitude of the transmitted light relative to the first light transmission region, which second light transmission region substantially borders on and is adjacent to the first light transmission region to the extent that destructive interference between light beams from both vicinity sides of a boundary between the second light transmission region and the first light transmission region sufficiently takes place such that resolution is improved;
• (b) mounting the wafer having the resist film onto a second position in the projection system;
• (c) exposing the mask substrate mounted on the first position to an exposure light beam having a predetermined wavelength, and having the light beam transmit through the mask substrate in such manner that the phase of a transmitted light beam through the first light transmission region is reversed, as compared to that of a transmitted light beam through the second light transmission region, by a first phase-shifting structure disposed at one of the first and second light transmission regions;
• (d) focusing the transmitted light beams through the projection system so as to form a real image of the circuit pattern, on the mask substrate, onto the resist film on the wafer in such manner that an edge portion of the real image is made clear on the second light transmission region side of the first light transmission region due to destructive interference between light beams from both vicinity sides of a boundary between the first and second light transmission regions, and exposing the wafer mounted on the second position in the projection system to the focused light beams;
• and
• (e) transferring the circuit pattern, on the mask substrate, onto the resist film on the wafer through the projection system.