Method for fabricating a low stress x-ray mask using annealable amorphous refractory compounds

X‐ray masks have been fabricated by depositing a compressively stressed refractory material on a wafer, annealing to a zero stress state, and then forming the membrane. Amorphous TaSiN and TaSi alloys deposited with a magnetron sputter tool have been extensively characterized in terms of resistivity, composition, defectivity, surface roughness, and crystalline state. Optimization in terms of these parameters has resulted in base line selection of absorber films of the following compositions: Ta_(61)Si_(17)N_(21) and Ta_(75)Si_(23). The process is shown to be extendable to an entire class of amorphous annealable refractory materials. Careful studies of deposition and annealing conditions have resulted in a 4× reduction of image placement to the 30 nm maximum vector level. Finally, the importance of stress gradients is experimentally verified

Manifiesto: The Texas Sales Tax Rebate and Cross-Border Mexican Shoppers

Shoppers around the world cross borders from one country in order to shop in another. In fact, shopping is increasingly recognized as a primary motive for international travel. Nowhere is this more evident than at the Texas-Mexico border. A report on the Mexican market, prepared for the Texas Economic Development Tourism Division, identified Texas as one of the top three U.S. destinations for Mexican travelers and shopping as the main reason for traveling. One potential incentive for international tourists to shop in the United States is an exemption, or rebate, on the state sales tax.IC2 Institut