Method of fabricating attenuated phase shift mask

A method of fabricating an attenuated phase shift mask having a circuitry pattern area and a no-circuitry area, the method comprising:

• providing a transparent substrate;
• forming a first light shielding layer over the transparent substrate, the first light shielding layer comprising an attenuating semi-transparent shifter material;
• forming a second light shielding layer over the first light shielding layer;
• removing all of the second light shielding layer material from the circuitry pattern area prior to forming any circuitry pattern in a photoresist layer in the circuitry pattern area;
• and
• after the removing, forming a circuitry pattern in a photoresist layer in the circuitry pattern area.

A method of fabricating an attenuated phase shift mask having a circuitry pattern area and a no-circuitry area, the method comprising:

• providing a transparent substrate;
• forming a first light shielding layer over the transparent substrate, the first light shielding layer comprising an attenuating semi-transparent shifter material;
• forming a second light shielding layer over the first light shielding layer;
• removing at least some second light shielding material from the entirety of the circuitry pattern area prior to forming any circuitry pattern in the first light shielding layer in the circuitry pattern area;
• and
• after the removing, forming a circuitry pattern in a photoresist layer in the circuitry pattern area.

A method of fabricating an attenuated phase shift mask having a circuitry pattern area and a no-circuitry area, the method comprising:

• providing a transparent substrate;
• forming a first light shielding layer over the transparent substrate, the first light shielding layer comprising an attenuating semi-transparent shifter material;
• forming a second light shielding layer over the first light shielding layer;
• and
• etching the first light shielding layer within the circuitry pattern area without any second light shielding layer being received over the first light shielding layer within the circuitry pattern area during said etching.

A method of fabricating an attenuated phase shift mask having a circuitry pattern area and a no-circuitry area, the method comprising:

• providing a transparent substrate;
• forming a first light shielding layer over the transparent substrate, the first light shielding layer comprising an attenuating semi-transparent shifter material;
• forming a second light shielding layer over the first light shielding layer;
• patterning the no-circuitry area differently from the circuitry pattern area;
• and
• after patterning the no-circuitry area differently from the circuitry pattern area, forming a desired mask in a photoresist layer having a desired circuit pattern in the circuitry pattern area and a desired alignment marking pattern in the no-circuitry area in the same step.

A method of fabricating an attenuated phase shift mask having a circuitry array area and frame area which at least partially surrounds the circuitry array area, the method comprising:

• providing a transparent substrate;
• forming a first light shielding layer over the transparent substrate, the first light shielding layer comprising an attenuating semi-transparent shifter material;
• forming a second light shielding layer over the first light shielding layer;
• and
• removing at least some of the second light shielding layer material from the circuitry array area prior to forming any circuitry pattern in a photoresist layer in the circuitry array area.

A method of fabricating an attenuated phase shift mask having a circuitry array area and frame area which at least partially surrounds the circuitry array area, the method comprising:

• providing a transparent substrate;
• forming a first light shielding layer over the transparent substrate, the first light shielding layer comprising an attenuating semi-transparent shifter material;
• forming a second light shielding layer over the first light shielding layer;
• and
• removing all of the second light shielding layer material from the circuitry array area prior to forming any circuitry pattern in a photoresist layer in the circuitry array area.

A method of fabricating an attenuated phase shift mask having a circuitry array area and frame area which at least partially surrounds the circuitry array area, the method comprising:

• providing a transparent substrate;
• forming a first light shielding layer over the transparent substrate, the first light shielding layer comprising an attenuating semi-transparent shifter material;
• forming a second light shielding layer over the first light shielding layer;
• and
• removing at least some second light shielding material from the entirety of the circuitry array area prior to forming any circuitry pattern in the first light shielding layer in the circuitry array area.

A method of fabricating an attenuated phase shift mask having a circuitry array area and frame area which at least partially surrounds the circuitry array area, the method comprising:

• providing a transparent substrate;
• forming a first light shielding layer over the transparent substrate, the first light shielding layer comprising an attenuating semi-transparent shifter material;
• forming a second light shielding layer over the first light shielding layer;
• and
• etching the first light shielding layer within the circuitry array area without any second light shielding layer being received over the first light shielding layer Within the circuitry array area during said etching.

A method of fabricating an attenuated phase shift mask having a circuitry array area and frame area which at least partially surrounds the circuitry array area, the method comprising:

• providing a transparent substrate;
• forming a first light shielding layer over the transparent substrate, the first light shielding layer comprising an attenuating semi-transparent shifter material;
• forming a second light shielding layer over the first light shielding layer;
• patterning the frame area differently from the circuitry array area;
• after patterning the frame area differently from the circuitry array area, forming a desired mask in a photoresist layer having a desired circuit pattern in the circuitry array area and a desired alignment marking pattern in the frame area in the same step.