Thin silicon nitride films to increase resolution in e-beam lithography

Elizabeth A. Dobisz; Christie R. Marrian; R. E. Salvino; Mario G. Ancona; Kee Woo Rhee; Martin C. Peckerar

doi:10.1117/12.146500

24 June 1993 Thin silicon nitride films to increase resolution in e-beam lithography

Elizabeth A. Dobisz, Christie R. Marrian, R. E. Salvino, Mario G. Ancona, Kee Woo Rhee, Martin C. Peckerar

Proceedings Volume 1924, Electron-Beam, X-Ray, and Ion-Beam Submicrometer Lithographies for Manufacturing III; (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.146500
Event: SPIE'S 1993 Symposium on Microlithography, 1993, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

A physical method of reducing feature size and proximity effects in sub-quarter micron e- beam lithography is described. A thin layer (50 - 300 nm) of silicon nitride deposited on a semiconductor substrate, prior to resist deposition, has been found to enhance the resist resolution. The samples were patterned with a 50 keV, 15 nm diameter probe generated by a JEOL JBX-5DII e-beam lithography system. Point spread function measurements in 60 nm thick SAL-601 on Si are shown to illustrate the resolution enhancement in the nanolithographic regime (sub-100 nm). The technique has been applied to lithography on 400 nm thick W films, such as would be used in x-ray mask fabrication. 200 nm of SAL-601 was spun onto W film samples, which were half coated with 200 nm of silicon nitride. Identical lithographic patterns were written on each half of the sample. On examination of the samples after post exposure processing and development, reduced feature sizes and proximity effects were seen on the sample half with the silicon nitride intermediary layer. Monte Carlo simulations were performed on a CM-200 Connection Machine. The results show a large number of fast secondary electrons are generated within a 50 nm radius of the incident electron beam. The implications of fast secondary electrons on resolution in e-beam lithography is discussed. The total number of fast secondary electrons entering the resist is greatly reduced by the silicon nitride layer. Simulations compare the thin layer technique to a bilayer resist technique, used to improve resolution at larger dimensions.

Citation Download Citation

Elizabeth A. Dobisz, Christie R. Marrian, R. E. Salvino, Mario G. Ancona, Kee Woo Rhee, and Martin C. Peckerar "Thin silicon nitride films to increase resolution in e-beam lithography", Proc. SPIE 1924, Electron-Beam, X-Ray, and Ion-Beam Submicrometer Lithographies for Manufacturing III, (24 June 1993); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.146500

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KEYWORDS

Silicon

Electrons

Resolution enhancement technologies

Monte Carlo methods

Silicon films

Tungsten

Lithography

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