Method for manufacturing EAPSM-type masks used to produce integrated circuits

A method for manufacturing masks of the Embedded Attenuated Phase-Shifting (EAPSM) type used to produce integrated circuits, the method comprising the steps of:

• forming a shifter layer on a quartz layer, and forming a light blocking layer on the shifter layer;
• etching the light blocking layer and the shifter layer to form a plurality of openings;
• and
• forming a layer of resist on portions of the light blocking layer, removing exposed portions of the light blocking layer using an exposure to a light source with a removal window having dimensions smaller than, or equal to, dimensions of a step of a stepper unit used to transfer active devices of the EAPSM mask, and removing the layer of resist.

A method for manufacturing masks of the Embedded Attenuated Phase-Shifting (EAPSM) type used to produce integrated circuits, the method comprising the steps of:

• forming a shifter layer on a quartz layer, and forming a light blocking layer on the shifter layer;
• etching the light blocking layer and the shifter layer to form a plurality of openings;
• and
• forming a layer of resist on portions of the light blocking layer, removing exposed portions of the light blocking layer using an exposure to a light source with a removal window having dimensions smaller than, or equal to, dimensions of a step of a stepper unit used to transfer active devices of the EAPSM mask;
• the removal window has a corner which coincides with a corner of an area defined by a single step of the stepper unit, and an opposite corner of the removal window coincides with a corner of one of the active devices of the EAPSM mask.