Rik Jonckheere, Kurt Ronse & Jan Wauters, IMEC, Leuven, Belgium

The 1997 SIA Roadmap Mask Table does not unambiguously specify the quality factors that a high-end mask should meet, nor is it felt to be sufficiently complete. Linewidth control is presently in the focus, and the growing attention to the mask error factor (MEF) is a sign of the concern. Additional mask imperfections may cause problems at high resolutions. The authors suggest that a criterion of "pattern fidelity" would be helpful in assessing mask quality.