Effects of low-voltage electron beam lithography

To examine the practical limits and effects of low voltage operation, studies of electron beam lithography (EBL) in the low (few keV) to ultra-low (E < 500eV) energy range, employing commonly used resists such as PMMA was done, and the results were compared to those from conventional high voltage processing. The direct writing was performed at low energies by our homemade scan generator and a Schottky field emission gun scanning electron microscope (SEM), used in cathode-lens mode for ultra-low voltage operation. The exposure characteristics and sensitivity of the system at these energies have been investigated using an advanced Monte Carlo simulation method. Our modeling of the lithographic process showed a significant increase in resolution and process latitude for thinner resists.