Photomasks (or called reticles) around micro meter technology exhibit significant sensitivities to electrostatics due to large amounts isolated chrome patterns deposited on quartz substrate. Photomasks in Wafer fabs of semiconductor manufacturing and TFT glass fabs of FPD manufacturing meet many more electrostatic problems than the other electronic industries.

Figure 1. Photomask CD failures types caused by electrostatics

The effective electrostatic protections of photomasks must ensure the electric fields applied on chrome patterns Lower enough and as always.