Process for producing a structured mask

摘要

PCT No. PCT/AT95/00111 Sec. 371 Date Nov. 25, 1997 Sec. 102(e) Date Nov. 25, 1997 PCT Filed May 30, 1995 PCT Pub. No. WO96/38763 PCT Pub. Date Dec. 5, 1996A process is disclosed for producing a structured mask for use in reproducing structures of that mask on an object with the aid of electromagnetic or particulate radiation, in particular for ion beam lithography. A flat smooth substrate of more than 20 mu m in thickness is selected and a thin diaphragm is produced from that substrate by etching one of the sections removed from the edging to a depth of c. 0.5-20 mu m, the tensile stress within the diaphragm being greater than 5 MPa. Lithographic structures are then formed on a central region of the diaphragm with a tensile stress of more than 5 MPa; apertures are etched into the diaphragm to form the mask structures and the effective thickness inside a diaphragm region substantially enclosing the mask structures is reduced, causing the central region containing the structures to be joined to the substrate edging elastically in such a way that the mean tensile stress within this central region is reduced to below 5 MPa. The region with reduced effective thickness preferably takes the form of a peripheral channel or at least one perforation.