Electron-beam-based photomask repair

Abstract

Articles you may be interested inNanostructuring of free-standing, dielectric membranes using electron-beam lithography J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 31, 06F402 (2013); 10.1116/1.4820019 Advanced photolithographic mask repair using electron beams J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 23, 3101 (2005); 10.1116/1.2062428High-speed and high-precision deflectors applied in electron beam lithography system based on scanning electron microscopy In situ electron-beam lithography on GaAs substrates using a metal alkoxide resist High-resolution electron-beam-assisted deposition and etching is an enabling technology for current and future generation photomask repair. NaWoTec in collaboration with Carl Zeiss NTS (formerly LEO Electron Microscopy) has developed a mask repair tool capable of processing a wide variety of mask types, such as quartz binary masks, phase shift masks, extreme ultraviolet masks, and e-beam projection stencil masks. Specifications currently meet the 65 nm device node requirements, and tool performance is extendible to 45 nm and below. The tool combines LEO's ultra-high-resolution Supra scanning electron microscope platform with NaWoTec's proprietary e-beam deposition and etching technology, gas delivery system, and mask repair software. In this article, we focus on tool performance results; that is, the reproducibility and accuracy of repair of clear and opaque programmed defects on Cr binary and MoSi phase shift masks. These masks have in the past been difficult to repair due to beam position instability caused by charging of the insulating quartz areas. We have found and implemented a solution to this charging problem and have demonstrated in spec repair of various defect types. The extendibility of e-beam-based repair technology to future lithography nodes, both in terms of the required resolution and the ability to repair next generation lithography mask types, will also be addressed.

Understanding the electron-stimulated surface reactions of organometallic complexes to enable design of precursors for electron beam-induced deposition

“…2d) [13]. EBID nanostructures have the potential to act as components in a variety of technologically important applications, some of which have already garnered broad usage, including a commercial system for repairing EUVL masks [14][15][16][17], customized tips for local probe microscopes [18,19], and the fabrication and modification of nanophotonic and nanoplasmonic devices [20][21][22].…”

Atomic radical abatement of organic impurities from electron beam deposited metallic structures

“…4,5 Current applications of FEBIP include photolithographic mask repair and the production of high aspect ratio scanning probe tips. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] Future applications may include the fabrication of nanoelectronic components. [15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Various metal-containing nanostructures, for example, platinum, nickel, tungsten, iron and copper, have been successfully fabricated using FEBIP.…”

Electrons as “Invisible Ink”: Fabrication of Nanostructures by Local Electron Beam Induced Activation of SiOx

“…The importance of EBID recently increased since it superseded focused ion beam processing as a method to repair lithographic masks in the semiconductor industry. [7] The underlying physical and chemical principles of electron-induced bond making and breaking are in general also of great interest for important technological applications such as electron beam lithography (EBL), which is the standard method of generating the masks for UV lithography.…”