Patent ID: 6423455
Filing Date: 2002-07-23
Classification: G03F

Abstract:
A method for fabricating a photomask comprising:providing a transparent substrate; forming over the transparent substrate a blanket first masking layer; forming over the blanket first masking layer a blanket second masking layer; forming over the blanket second masking layer a patterned photoresist layer having an active patterned region and a border region adjoining the active patterned region; etching, while employing a first etch method and while employing the patterned photoresist layer as a first etch mask layer, the blanket second masking layer and the blanket first masking layer to form a patterned second masking layer and a patterned first masking layer; irradiating, while employing a cutout mask, at least a portion of the active patterned region of the patterned photoresist layer such that at least the portion of the active patterned region of the patterned photoresist layer is removed from over the transparent substrate while at least a portion of the border region of the patterned photoresist layer is not removed from over the substrate to thus form from the patterned photoresist layer a further patterned photoresist layer which leaves exposed a portion of the patterned second masking layer; etching, while employing a second etch method, the portion of the patterned second masking layer exposed beneath the further patterned photoresist layer to form a further patterned second masking layer; and stripping from over the transparent substrate the further patterned photoresist layer.