Procedure and results of mask fabrication via X-ray lithography

A copying procedure for reproduction of e-beam written X-ray masks has been developed and applied, for the fabrication of optically transparent stepper masks. This process uses normal X - ray lithography to expose an X-ray absorber pattern onto a resist-covered mask blank. In order to achieve high quality X-ray copies, it is necessary to use a copying instrument which avoids mask distortion or pattern displacements due to fixturing. Furthermore, efficient heat dissipation is required to prevent a rise in the temperature of the mask during X-ray exposure. Taking these conditions into account, X-ray copying is a significant mask fabrication technique providing special additional advantages.