System and methods for manufacturing and using a mask

A mask for use in manufacturing a thin layer having a predetermined pattern on a substrate surface, the mask being formed of single crystal silicon and comprising:

• an aperture corresponding to the pattern;
• the size of the aperture changing in a mask thickness direction such that the size has, at a boundary position, a minimum value corresponding to the size of the pattern and the size increases toward both a first and second mask surface;
• and
• a first distance from the boundary position to the first mask surface and a second distance from the boundary position to the second mask surface being different from each other.

A method of manufacturing a mask for use in manufacturing a thin layer having a predetermined pattern on a substrate surface, the mask having a aperture corresponding to the pattern, the method comprising:

• preparing a substrate including a base substrate, an insulating layer formed on one surface of the base substrate, and a single crystal silicon layer formed on the insulating layer;
• removing the base substrate such that at least a partial area of the base substrate is removed over the entire thickness of the base substrate;
• and
• anisotropic etching the single crystal silicon layer remaining in the area from which the base substrate has been removed, so as to form a through-hole serving as the aperture in the single crystal silicon layer.

A method of manufacturing a mask, comprising:

• forming a thin portion having a uniform thickness in a partial substrate area by etching a single crystal silicon substrate having a (100)-oriented crystal surface in a thickness direction of the single crystal silicon substrate;
• forming an aperture in the thin portion;
• forming a first protective layer pattern having a through-hole corresponding to the aperture, on a first surface of the thin portion;
• forming a second protective layer pattern having a recessed portion at a location corresponding to the location of the aperture, on a second surface of the thin portion;
• forming a through-hole in the thin portion at a location corresponding to the location of the aperture by anisotropic wet etching using the crystal orientation dependence such that an aperture size of the through-hole is greater at the first surface than at a boundary position and is smaller at the second surface than at the boundary position and than the size of a recessed portion;
• converting the second protective layer pattern into a third protective layer pattern by performing wet etching such that the bottom of the recessed portion is perforated so that the recessed portion becomes a through-hole while maintaining the protective layer on the first surface;
• and
• anisotropic wet-etching the thin portion, using the crystal orientation dependence such that a part of the thin portion exposed via the through-hole formed in the third protection layer pattern is etched until the aperture size at the boundary position becomes equal to a predetermined size.