| 摘要 |
A photomask blank (100) used as a master of a transfer mask having, on a substrate (10), a transfer pattern to be transferred. The photomask blank (100) has, on the substrate (10), a light-shielding film (20) to serve as a transfer pattern and a resist film (30). In order that a desired pattern position accuracy and a desired focusing accuracy may be obtained when a transfer mask having a transfer pattern formed by patterning the light-shielding film (20) is supported by a substrate holding member of an exposure system, the resist film (30) formed on the peripheral portion of a major surface of the substrate (10) is partly removed from a predetermined region in the supported area (31) of the photomask blank (100) supported by the substrate holding member. With such a structure, when a reticle is held by a substrate holding member of a stepper, the deformation of the reticle is suppressed, and the degradation of position accuracy of the transfer pattern and the degradation of the focusing accuracy are minimized. |
