Nanolithography using a 100 kV electron beam lithography system with a Schottky emitter

Abstract

We present lithography results with a new electron beam lithography system using a W/ZrO Schottky emitter operating at 100 kV acceleration voltage. The wide range of available beam currents between 100 pA and 50 nA allows both high resolution nanolithography and large area patterning. Resolution tests with line and dot arrays patterned by lift off using a poly(methyl/methacrylate) resist showed a minimum linewidth of 12 nm for 36 nm line pitch written with a beam current of 1.1 nA, 15 nm for 50 nm pitch written with 3 nA and 30 nm for 100 nm pitch written at 12 nA. The smallest spacing between features at 1.1 nA current was 36 nm for lines and 32 nm for dot arrays. The high current density of the beam at very small spot sizes makes the system a promising tool for nanofabrication using both conventional resist as well as high resolution but low sensitivity inorganic resist.