Custom plate formats and substrate/coating configurations.
Custom Photomask Blanks
Drawing-based photomask blanks configured around substrate, chrome, resist and inspection requirements.
A blank built around your process.
Chrome-coated blanksCustom formats
Product selection
What it is and what it does
A custom blank can start with polished glass or fused silica and include the required chrome layer, photoresist condition, optical target, edge format and inspection records. It is the right route when a standard blank does not match the drawing or exposure process.
When to choose it
Choose the supply stage that matches the processes you perform in-house: bare glass before coating, chromium-coated glass before resist coating, or a resist-coated plate before exposure.
How it differs from related products
A custom blank changes the starting stack or format; a custom photomask changes the finished pattern. Start with the next operation in your process to decide which product is needed.
What can be customised
Material grade, outline, thickness, polished area and edge finish define the substrate. Coated versions also allow a film stack and resist preparation matched to the downstream exposure and etching process.
What you receive
The supplied item is an unpatterned substrate or coated blank in the selected process state. A finished reticle, encoder track or exposure mask requires a subsequent patterning step. Handling, storage and any accompanying inspection data depend on the selected coating and order.
Specifications and inspection
Product configuration
| Product type | Application-specific photomask blank |
|---|---|
| Inputs | Drawing, artwork, mask format or process specification |
| Configuration | Substrate, chrome layer, photoresist and edge format |
| Critical controls | Dimensions, flatness, surface, optical target and cleanliness |
| Delivery | Prototype or repeat quantity with agreed inspection records |
Large-format glass substrates
Large-format substrate flatness is specified by plate dimensions and thickness. Use these limits for the listed large-format configurations rather than applying a small precision-substrate flatness value to every plate size.
| Thickness (mm) | Plate-dimension range (mm) | Maximum flatness (µm) |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0 / 4.8 | 228.6 × 228.6 to 508 × 609.6 | ≤70 |
| 3.0 / 4.8 | 609.6 × 609.6 to 700 × 800 | ≤100 |
| 7.8 | 620 × 720 to 700 × 800 | ≤120 |
Specify the required plate dimensions within the listed format ranges, the support condition, measurement area and inspection orientation. The supplied specification should identify whether flatness is assessed before or after coating.
Chromium-film pinhole grades by substrate format
A pinhole in this specification is an unintended transparent defect in the chromium film. It is not a designed optical aperture and does not indicate a hole through the glass. Select the format and coating acceptance grade together.
| Acceptance grade | Rejected pinhole sizes |
|---|---|
| Standard Grade | d ≥5 µm |
| Premium Grade | d ≥1 µm |
These thresholds define the rejected defect sizes. The inspection specification must also define any permitted defect count below the threshold and the inspected area.
| Acceptance grade | Defect size, d | Acceptance limit |
|---|---|---|
| A | 5 ≤ d < 10 µm | ≤0.01 / cm² |
| A | d ≥ 10 µm | None permitted |
| B | 5 ≤ d < 10 µm | ≤0.01 / cm² |
| B | 10 ≤ d < 30 µm | ≤0.003 / cm² |
| B | d ≥ 30 µm | None permitted |
| C | 5 ≤ d < 10 µm | ≤0.01 / cm² |
| C | 10 ≤ d < 50 µm | ≤0.003 / cm² |
| C | d ≥ 50 µm | None permitted |
The no-defect threshold takes precedence at the boundary of each size band. For example, Grade B rejects all pinholes of 30 µm or larger. Specify inspected area, edge exclusions and the count-rounding rule for area-based density limits. No acceptance value is assigned here to pinholes smaller than 5 µm.
Custom photomask blanks are configured around the material, geometry, coating and process requirements of your next patterning step.
Built for your process.
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Where it fits in the process
Choose a custom blank when the substrate, coating stack, edge format or inspection record does not match a standard configuration.
What can be customized
- Material and substrate format
- Chrome and photoresist configuration
- Dimensions, tolerances and clear aperture
- Inspection, identification, packaging and delivery records
Where this product is used
Common questions
Can I order a blank from my own drawing?
Yes. Send the drawing revision, substrate, coating and process requirements for review.
Can a custom blank be supplied without a fixed standard?
Yes. The material and coating route can be defined around the actual exposure and pattern-transfer process.
What should I include in an inquiry?
Include dimensions, material, chrome or resist requirements, quantity, application and the acceptance criteria that matter.
Selection notes
Custom photomask blanks combine a drawing-defined substrate, outline, chromium film and photoresist state.
Bare, chrome-coated and resist-coated formats serve different starting points. Match handling edges, exposure area and chemical compatibility to your equipment.
Information for your inquiry
Material, outline, thickness, usable area, chromium stack, resist, edge treatment and delivery state.
Do I need finished pattern artwork to order a blank?
A blank order primarily needs substrate and film specifications. If pattern processing is also required, provide the artwork, polarity and revision.