A clear bright peak enhanced x-ray phase mask (BPEXPM) is described. It employs the constructive interference of spatially coherent radiation as opposed to the destructive interference that is used in all the other phase-shifting schemes. This type of mask shows ultrahigh resolution imaging, feature reduction from the mask critical dimension (CD), and enhanced transmission. It has been simulated and verified experimentally with a 320 nm mask CD. Specifically, the BPEXPM exhibits: (1) approximately three times higher effective sensitivity, 40 mJ/cm(2) dose to mask for Shipley XP-9947E, a positive-tone chemically amplified resist that normally has a sensitivity of 120 mJ/cm(2) in the x-ray region and (2) resolution of 54 nm features in XP-9947E at a 50 mum gap for a 320 nm mask CD. The simulation for the BPEXPM also predicts a wafer image CD of 31 nm at 10 mum gaps with a 150 nm mask CD.