Electron-beam lithography

About: Electron-beam lithography is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 8982 publications have been published within this topic receiving 143325 citations. The topic is also known as: e-beam lithography.

Electron beam lithography with monolayers of alkylthiols and alkylsiloxanes

Abstract: Self‐assembled monolayers have been modified with focused electron beams of energy 1–50 keV and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) based lithography with energies of ∼10 eV. Modifications ∼15 nm in size have been formed by STM and ∼25 nm in size by 50 keV beams. The fact that these materials work as self‐developing electron beam resists is demonstrated by both atomic force microscopy imaging and pattern transfer using conventional wet etchants. Patterns have been transferred to silicon substrates to a depth of ≳120 nm with a multistep wet etching process. The mechanism of electron beam modification has also been explored to better design future monolayer processes.

Negative PMMA as a high-resolution resist : the limits and possibilities

Abstract: Poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) which is commonly used as a positive resist can also be used in a negative manner with exposure at higher dose levels. In this paper we investigate the full potential of this resist for high-resolution pattern definition. We show that although the point spread exposure distribution is similar to that for positive PMMA, features of the order of 10 nm are easily achieved. These resist structures can be transferred into the underlying materials using plasma etch techniques to a similar degree of resolution. The density of resist features is also greater than for positive PMMA with features of nm in width being possible on a 30 nm pitch. The instability of the resist structures at extreme linewidths has been identified as a potential problem in utilizing the process.

Fabrication and characterization of high-quality spiral phase plates for optical applications

Abstract: The discovery that light beams with a helical phase front carry orbital angular momentum (OAM) has enabled applications in many fields ranging from optical manipulation to quantum information processing and, recently, free-space information transfer and communications Here, a novel three-dimensional fabrication process by electron beam lithography was finely tuned in order to realize high-quality spiral phase plates (SPPs) for the generation of OAM-carrying optical beams Single- and multi-step SPPs have been realized for the generation of high-order Laguerre–Gaussian beams with different values of topological charge and radial index The optical response of these optical elements was experimentally investigated and compared with theoretical models

Coulomb blockade in a silicon tunnel junction device

Abstract: Single electron tunnel junctions have been formed in ultrathin silicon‐on‐insulator material by electron beam lithography and dry etching. Clear Coulomb blockade effects have been observed at 300 mK in the current‐voltage characteristics as a function of the voltage applied to a control sidegate. The effects are not smeared out by thermal fluctuations until temperatures greater than 4 K are reached.

Optical waveguides with apodized sidewall gratings via spatial-phase-locked electron-beam lithography

Abstract: We describe a technique to fabricate Bragg gratings in the sides of optical waveguides using a single lithographic step. This technique is particularly suited to the apodized gratings required for add/drop filters in dense-wavelength-division multiplexing. Apodization minimizes cross talk between channels and improves the filter response. Silicon-on-insulator rib waveguides with both uniform and apodized gratings were fabricated using direct-write spatial-phase-locked electron-beam lithography (SPLEBL). This approach combines SPLEBL’s pattern-placement accuracy with the flexibility of direct-write device prototyping. The resulting grating-based devices exhibited substantially reduced side-lobe levels.