# US 9,040,942 B1 · Electron beam lithography with linear column array and rotary stage

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- Number: US 9,040,942 B1
- Document ID: US9040942B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 12/008,517
- Filed: 2008-01-11
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2008-01-11
- Assignees: KLA-Tencor Corporation
- Applicants: Keith Standiford; Alan D. Brodie
- Inventors: Keith Standiford; Alan D. Brodie
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9040942B1

## CPC

- H01J 37/04: Arrangements of electrodes and associated parts for generating or controlling the discharge, e.g. electron-optical arrangement or ion-optical arrangement {(H01J37/32009, H01J37/32623, H01J37/3266, H01J37/32697 take precedence; electron or ion-optical systems for localised treatment of objects H01J37/3007)}
- H01J 37/3007: {Electron or ion-optical systems}
- H01J 37/3177: {Multi-beam, e.g. fly's eye, comb probe}
- H01J 2237/201: for mounting multiple objects
- H01J 2237/31789: Reflection mask
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

One embodiment relates to an apparatus for electron beam lithography which includes a linear array of reflection electron beam lithography columns and a rotary stage. Each column is separately controllable to write a portion of a lithographic pattern onto a substrate. The rotary stage is configured to hold multiple substrates and to be rotated under the linear array of reflection electron beam lithography columns. Another embodiment relates to a method of electron beam lithography which includes simultaneously rotating and linearly translating a stage holding a plurality of wafers, and writing a lithography pattern using a linear array of reflection electron beam lithography columns over the stage. Each said column traverses a spiral path over the stage as the stage is rotated and linearly translated. Other embodiments, aspects and feature are also disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for electron beam lithography, the apparatus comprising:
a rotary stage comprising a rotatable platen for holding a plurality of substrates of a same size spaced evenly around a center of the rotatable platen;
a first linear array of reflection-electron beam lithography columns positioned above a first substrate held on the rotatable platen; and
a second linear array of reflection-electron beam lithography columns positioned above a second substrate held on the rotatable platen,
wherein the first and second linear arrays are arranged along a diameter of the rotatable platen and on opposite sides across the center of the rotatable platen.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each reflection-electron beam lithography column in the first linear array comprises:
an electron source for generating an incident electron beam;
a dynamic pattern generator for receiving the incident electron beam and generating a dynamically-patterned reflected electron beam;
a magnetic prism for bending the incident electron beam towards the dynamic pattern generator and for bending the reflected electron beam towards the rotary stage;
an illumination lens positioned between the electron source and the magnetic prism;
a transfer lens positioned between the magnetic prism and the dynamic pattern generator; and
an imaging lens positioned between the magnetic prism and the platen.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first linear array comprises:
electron sources for generating incident electron beams;
dynamic pattern generators for receiving the incident electron beams and generating dynamically-patterned reflected electron beams;
magnetic prisms for bending the incident electron beams towards the dynamic pattern generators and for bending the reflected electron beams towards the platen;
an array of illumination lenses located between electron sources and the magnetic prisms in the first linear array;
an array of transfer lenses located between the magnetic prisms and dynamic pattern generators in the first linear array; and
an array of imaging lenses located between the magnetic prisms in the first linear array and the platen,
wherein the array of illumination lenses, the array of transfer lenses, and the array of imaging lenses are each constructed using a single magnetic coil.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a center-to-center spacing between adjacent reflection-electron beam lithography columns in the first linear array is less than 50 millimeters.

### Claim 5

A method of electron beam lithography, the method comprising:
rotating a platen holding a plurality of wafers evenly spaced on the platen around a center region of the platen; and
writing a lithography pattern using a first linear array of reflection electron beam lithography columns positioned over a first wafer held on the platen and a second linear array of reflection election beam lithography columns positioned over a second wafer held on the platen,
wherein the first and second linear arrays are arranged along a diameter of the platen and on opposite sides across the center of the platen.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein each reflection electron beam lithography column generates an incident electron beam using an electron source, bends the incident electron beam towards a dynamic pattern generator using a magnetic prism, generates a dynamically-patterned reflected electron beam using the dynamic pattern generator, and bends the reflected electron beam towards the stage using the magnetic prism.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising using an array of illumination lenses constructed using a single magnetic coil to generate the incident electron beams.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising using an array of transfer lenses between the dynamic pattern generator and the magnetic prism.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising using an array of imaging lenses constructed using a single magnetic coil to image the reflected electron beams onto a substrate of the first wafer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein a center-to-center spacing between adjacent columns is less than 50 millimeters.

### Claim 11

A method for writing a lithography pattern to target substrates, the method comprising:
holding a plurality of target substrates evenly spaced around a center region of a platen; and
writing the lithography pattern onto a first target substrate of the plurality of target substrates underneath a first linear array of electron beam columns and onto a second target substrate of the plurality of target substrates underneath a second linear array of electron beam columns,
wherein the first and second linear arrays are arranged along a diameter of the platen and on opposite sides across the center of the platen.