Patent ID: 7384713

Claim:
A method of manufacturing an exposure mask blank including a substrate and a light-shielding film formed on the substrate, comprising: measuring a first flatness of each of a plurality of substrates before formation of a light-shielding film; predicting, on the basis of the first flatness, a second flatness of said each substrate when said each substrate is chucked on an exposure apparatus; selecting, from the plurality of substrates, at least one substrate having a predetermined flatness on the basis of the second flatness; predicting, for the selected at least one substrate, a desired third flatness of the at least one substrate after a light-shielding film is formed on the substrate; forming a light-shielding film on the selected at least one substrate; measuring a fourth flatness of the at least one substrate having the formed light-shielding film; and determining whether the at least one substrate having the light-shielding film has the desired third flatness by comparing the fourth flatness with the third flatness.