The effort to produce defect-free mask blanks for EUV lithography relies on increasing the detection sensitivity of advanced mask inspection tools, operating at several wavelengths. They describe the unique measurement capabilities of a prototype actinic (EUV) wavelength microscope that is capable of detecting small defects and reflectivity changes that occur on the scale of microns to nanometers. The defects present in EUV masks can appear in many well-known forms: as particles that cause amplitude or phase variations in the reflected field; as surface contamination that reduces reflectivity and contrast; and as damage from inspection and use that reduces the reflectivity of the multilayer coating. This paper presents an overview of several topics where scanning actinic inspection makes a unique contribution to EUVL research. They describe the role of actinic scanning inspection in defect repair studies, observations of laser damage, actinic inspection following scanning electron microscopy, and the detection of both native and programmed defects
