Ebeam staggered beam aperture array
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsYan A. Borodovsky, Donald W. Nelson, Mark C. Phillips
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Lithographic apparatuses suitable for, and methodologies involving, complementary e-beam lithography (CEBL) are described. In an example, a blanker aperture array (BAA) for an e-beam tool includes a first column of openings along a first direction and having a pitch. The BAA also includes a second column of openings along the first direction and staggered from the first column of openings. The second column of openings has the pitch. A scan direction of the BAA is along a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction.
Claims24
A blanker aperture array (BAA) for an e-beam tool, the BAA comprising:
- a first column of openings along a first direction and having a pitch;
- and
- a second column of openings along the first direction and staggered from the first column of openings, the second column of openings having the pitch, wherein a scan direction of the BAA is along a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction.
A method of forming a pattern for a semiconductor structure, the method comprising:
- forming a pattern of parallel lines above a substrate, the pattern of parallel lines having a pitch;
- aligning the substrate in an e-beam tool to provide the pattern of parallel lines parallel with a scan direction of the e-beam tool, wherein the e-beam tool comprises a blanker aperture array (BAA) comprising a first column of openings along an array direction and a second column of openings along the array direction and staggered from the first column of openings, the first column of openings having a pitch and the second column of openings having the pitch, and the array direction orthogonal to the scan direction, and wherein the pitch of the first column of openings corresponds to twice the pitch of the pattern of parallel lines;
- and
- forming a pattern of cuts or vias in or above the pattern of parallel lines to provide line breaks for the pattern of parallel lines by scanning the substrate along the scan direction.
A column for e-beam tool, the column comprising:
- an electron source for providing a beam of electrons;
- a limiting aperture coupled with the electron source along a pathway of the beam of the beam of electrons;
- high aspect ratio illumination optics coupled with the limiting aperture along the pathway of the beam of the beam of electrons;
- a shaping aperture coupled with the high aspect ratio illumination optics along the pathway of the beam of the beam of electrons;
- a blanker aperture array (BAA) coupled with the shaping aperture along the pathway of the beam of the beam of electrons, the BAA comprising:
- a first column of openings along a first direction and having a pitch;
- and
- a second column of openings along the first direction and staggered from the first column of openings, the second column of openings having the pitch;
- a final aperture coupled with the BAA along the pathway of the beam of the beam of electrons;
- and
- a sample stage for receiving the beam of electrons, wherein a scan direction of the sample stage is along a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction of the BAA.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.