Electron-beam processing lithography

Application to image reversal process a)Electron beam lithography... 

It is expected that the geometrical dimensions of IC devices will continue to decrease through the use of electron beam and x-ray lithography. Analysis of these small geometries presents additional challenges since a tradeoff exists between analysis area, and detection limits for the microbeam analysis techniques, AES and SIMS. The other surface analysis techniques of XPS and RBS already have very limited spatial resolution with respect to the current geometrical dimensions of IC s. The fabrication of denser and more complicated IC s also increases the value of each wafer which increases the need for additional process characterization and control. The increased application of surface analysis to semiconductor problems will provide a better understanding of these processes and will stimulate the further development of instrumental surface analysis techniques. 

Conventional patterning techniques, for example, photolithography and electron beam lithography, are frequently used for fabrication of patterned substrates owing to their capability to produce nanometer features with remarkable perfection. However, the slow process of electron beam lithography has limited most of its application fabricating high-end devices.69,70... 

Ferromagnetic rings are also fabricated by using electron-beam lithography with a lift-off process for pattern transfer [76]. These nanoscale ferromagnetic rings have a smallest outer diameter of 90 nm, inner diameter of 30 nm and thickness of 10 nm. 

Microstructured patterns of PMMA on gold films were generated by electron beam lithography (LEO Gemini DSM 982, and electron beam lithographic system ELPHY, Zeiss Germany). The development process was carried out according to standard procedures. In a first step, the quality of microstructure was probed by SEM. 

Thick organic polymer resist films are used for the conventional lithography. Their thicknesses are dozens to hundreds of nanometers. When a processing size becomes small and enters nanometer order in electron beam lithography, scattering of electrons in a resist causes various problems, such as the proximity effect. The variation in molecular mass of each molecule which forms the resist also reduces the resolution. If the ultrathin resist film of several nanometers thickness will be realized, the lithography of higher resolution will become possible. 

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