Maskless micro-ion-beam reduction lithography system
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsKa-Ngo Leung, William A. Barletta, David O. Patterson, Richard A. Gough
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Abstract
A maskless micro-ion-beam reduction lithography system is a system for projecting patterns onto a resist layer on a wafer with feature size down to below 100 nm. The MMRL system operates without a stencil mask. The patterns are generated by switching beamlets on and off from a two electrode blanking system or pattern generator. The pattern generator controllably extracts the beamlet pattern from an ion source and is followed by a beam reduction and acceleration column.
Claims20
A pattern generator for controllably producing a plurality of micro-ion-beamlets from an ion source in a selectable pattern, comprising:
- a first electrode positioned adjacent to the ion source and having a first plurality of apertures formed therein for producing an array of micro-ion-beamlets by passing ions from the ion source therethrough;
- a second electrode in a spaced relation to the first electrode and having a second plurality of apertures formed therein and aligned with the first plurality of apertures, the second electrode electrostatically and individually controlling the passage therethrough of each of the micro-ion-beamlets passing through the first electrode to produce the selectable pattern.
A maskless micro-ion-beam reduction lithography (MMRL) system, comprising:
- a plasma generator which produces ions in a plasma generation region;
- a pattern generator positioned adjacent to the plasma generation region of the ion source for electrostatically extracting ions from the plasma generator and producing a controlled selectable pattern of micro-ion-beamlets;
- an acceleration and reduction column following the pattern generator and having aligned apertures therethrough for accelerating and focusing the micro-ion-beamlets extracted from the plasma generation region to produce a demagnified final ion beam with the selected pattern.
A method of producing a focused ion beam comprising a plurality of beamlets in a selectable predetermined pattern, comprising:
- generating a plasma;
- extracting ions from the plasma through a pattern generator which selectably and controllably produces the predetermined pattern of beamlets;
- passing the ions extracted through the pattern generator through aligned apertures in an acceleration and reduction column to produce a demagnified final ion beam with the selectable predetermined pattern.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.