Electron Beam Lithography

(EBL)
 Definition
• Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) refers
to a lithographic process that uses a
focused beam of electrons to form
patterns needed on the material deposited
on the wafer
• Electron lithography offers higher
patterning resolution than optical
lithography because of the shorter
wavelength.
• 10-50 keV electrons that it employs
• A small-diameter focused beam of electrons
to be scanned over a surface
• EBL system doesn't need masks anymore
to perform its task (unlike optical
lithography, which uses photomasks to
project the patterns).
• An EBL system simply 'draws' the pattern
over the resist wafer using the electron
beam as its drawing pen.
• EBL systems produce the resist pattern in a
'serial' manner, making it slow compared to
optical systems.
 A typical EBL system
• an electron gun or electron source that supplies
the electrons
• an electron column that 'shapes' and focuses the
electron beam
• a mechanical stage that positions the wafer
under the electron beam
• a wafer handling system that automatically feeds
wafers to the system and unloads them after
processing
• a computer system that controls the equipment
• Magnetic Lens: focus
beam
• Blanker: blank or pass
beam
• Beam Deflector: deflect
beam
Scanning Methods
• The resolution of optical lithography is limited by
diffraction, but this is not a problem for electron
lithography.
• The reason for this is the short wavelengths
(0.2-0.5 angstroms) exhibited by the electrons in
the energy range that they are being used by
EBL systems.
• However, the resolution of an electron
lithography system may be constrained by other
factors, such as electron scattering in the resist
and by various aberrations in its electron optics.
Electron Beam Scattering
Lens Aberrations
 Resist
• Just like optical lithography, electron
lithography also uses positive and
negative resists, which in this case are
referred to as electron beam resists (or e-
beam resists).
• E-beam resists are e-beam-sensitive
materials that are used to cover the wafer
according to the defined pattern.
• Optical
– High Speed for large
shape
– High speed, parallel
– Light diffraction limited
– Minimum feature size
>200nm
– Mask needed
• e-beam
– High speed for
complex structure
– Point by point, Serial
– Scattering limited
– Minimum feature
20nm
– Direct write
Harold. G. Craighead, Dustin Carr (Cornell Univeristy)
 Efficiency
• While E-beam lithography is perhaps the most accurate
and precise of all the lithographic techniques, perfection
comes at a high price.
• The complex equipment and slow exposure times makes
E-beam lithography impractical as a mass production
micro manufacturing method.
• Also, because electrons are charged particles, E-beam
lithography must be performed in a vacuum.
• Steps are being taken however, in customizing tools
such as scanning electron microscopes into having the
ability to produce focused electron beams.
 Summary
• E-Beam Lithography is a modified SEM system
• E-Beam lithography is suitable for complex
patterns like circles, rings, and for small
structures.
• A serial process, expose a single pixel at a time
and move to next pixel
• Resolution is not limited by diffraction limits, but
by scattering of electron, the resolution is around
10nm-20nm