Electron beam array lithography

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Abstract
Electron‐beam array lithography (EBAL) uses array optics to expose 108 to 1010 resolution elements without mechanical motion. The array optics are based on the use of a first stage of deflection (coarse deflection) which selects one of an array of lenslets. The lenslet array is followed by a second stage of deflection (fine deflection) which selects the final spot position. In order to maximize exposure rate and also minimize mechanical motion, it is proposed to use a 3×3 array of array optics channels to expose a 100 mm wafer. As a numerical example of the projected throughput of such a system consider a 20 MHz stepping rate per channel and 0.5 μm pixels. Then (3×1010 pixels)/(9×2×107 pixels per s) ≊170 s. Now if variable spot sizes and vector writing are used such that only 10% of the pattern is exposed using the smallest feature (pixel), the exposure time is reduced to ∠20 s. Consistent with these calculations, EBAL systems are presently under development with engineering goals of 0.5 μm smallest features, 100 mm wafers, and throughputs of 50 wafers/h. The electron optics of these systems are all electrostatic, and use either thermionic (e.g., LaB6) or field‐emission (e.g., W/Zr) cathodes. EBAL systems require that patterns be ’’stitched’’ across the boundaries of the lenslet fields in the array lens. This can be accomplished by the use of a standard calibration plate having fiducial marks at the corners and sides of lenslets. Measurement of the positions of these fiducials provides data from which to calculate a set of stitching constants for each lenslet of each electron‐beam channel. Overlay between different pattern levels on a wafer is accomplished by a similar process using data from fiducial marks at the corners of each chip which is being written on a wafer. By these means any pattern level on any wafer can be exposed in any EBAL exposure station.

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