Patent Number: 061921009
Section: claims

1. A pellicle member for protection of an X-ray exposure area absorber pattern that is positioned on and that extends a distance from a surface of a circular X-ray mask having an outside diameter and a support ring with a shoulder extending beyond said outside diameter, comprising in combination: a subassembly of a circular membrane member on a washer shaped spacer member,  retention means adapted to retain said subassembly to said mask as an assembly, in which,  a mask protecting pellicle, said pellicle including a membrane member on a washer shaped spacer member sub assembly,  said membrane member being positioned in contact with all of said first surface of said spacer member and having a thickness dimension that is small relative to said thickness dimension of said spacer member, and,  retention means adapted to retain said subassembly to said X-ray pattern reproduction mask as an assembly, in which said second surface of said spacer member is in contact with said second bulk mask support surface from which said absorber pattern extends. 2. The pellicle member of claim 1 where said retention means is an electrostatic charge across the interface of said mask and said spacer member. 3. The pellicle member of claim 1 wherein said membrane member is of a material that is a member of the group of Si, Si.sub.3 N.sub.4, SiC and Diamond. 4. The pellicle member of claim 3 wherein said spacer member is of boron doped silicon. 5. The pellicle member of claim 3 wherein said support ring is of pyrex material. 6. The pellicle member of claim 5 wherein absorber pattern is of a material taken from the group of Au, W or TaSi. 7. The pellicle member of claim 1 wherein said mask support ring shoulder portion has an outside diameter that is greater than said outside diameter of said mask and said retention means includes at least one ring member and first and second attachments said first attachment being of a first portion of said at least one ring member to said shoulder portion by at least one of adhesive and screw means, and said second attachment being of a second portion of said at least one ring member to an extending portion of said second surface of said spacer by adhesive means. 8. The pellicle member of claim 7 wherein said retention means is a single ring member having an inside diameter that fits over said outside diameter of said mask, said first attachment being of a first portion of said single ring member to said shoulder portion by adhesive means, and said second attachment being of a second portion of said single ring member to an extending portion of said second surface of said spacer by adhesive means. 9. The pellicle member of claim 7 wherein said retention means is a single ring member having an inside diameter that fits over said outside diameter of said mask, said first attachment being of a first portion of said single ring member to said shoulder portion by screw means, and said second attachment being of a second portion of said single ring member to an extending portion of said second surface of said spacer by adhesive means. 10. The pellicle member of claim 7 wherein said retention means is superimposed first and second ring members each having an inside diameter that fits over said outside diameter of said mask, and being connected by a spring surrounding a rod between said first and second rings, said first attachment being of said first of said superimposed rings to said shoulder portion by screw means, and said second attachment being of said second of said superimposed rings to an extending portion of said second surface of said spacer by adhesive means. 11. The pellicle member of claim 7 wherein said retention means is superimposed first and second ring members each having an inside diameter that fits over said outside diameter of said mask, and being connected by an elastomer member adhesively attached to each said superimposed ring and extending across the intersection between them, said first said superimposed rings being attached to said shoulder portion by screw means, and said second of said superimposed rings being attached to an extending portion of said second surface of said spacer by adhesive means. 12. The pellicle member of claim 7 wherein said retention means is first and second ring members, said first ring member having an inside diameter that fits over said outside diameter of said mask, and being adhesively attached to said mask and to said shoulder and having threads on the outside diameter, said second ring member being attached to an extending portion of said second surface of said spacer by adhesive means and having threads in the inside diameter thereof that mesh with said threads on the outside diameter of said first ring member. 13. The pellicle member of claim 7 wherein said retention means is a single ring member having an inside diameter that fits over said outside diameter of said mask, said single ring member further having partial cuts producing bendable tabs that when bent inward provide a friction grip of said mask, and, attachment of an edge of said ring member to an extending portion of said second surface of said spacer by adhesive means. 14. In a pattern reproduction mask for use with X-rays wherein a circular bulk mask support member having first and second essentially parallel surfaces is supported at the periphery by a ring member, said bulk mask support member having a central thinned region in said first surface and having an absorber pattern of X-ray opaque material on said second surface in registration with said thinned region, the improvement comprising: 15. The improvement of claim 14 wherein said membrane member is of a material that is a member of the group of Si, Si.sub.3 N.sub.4, SiC and Diamond. 16. The improvement of claim 15 wherein said spacer member is of boron doped silicon. 17. The improvement of claim 16 wherein said support ring is of pyrex material. 18. The improvement of claim 17 wherein said absorber pattern is of a material taken from the group of Au, W or TaSi.