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.

Photonic Crystals Based on Periodic Arrays of Aligned Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract: We demonstrate here that large area periodic arrays of well-aligned carbon nanotubes can be fabricated inexpensively on Ni dots made by the process of self-assembly nanosphere lithography. These periodic arrays appear colorful due to their efficient reflection and diffraction of visible light. In addition, due to their honeycomb lattice structure, these arrays can act as photonic band gap crystals in the visible frequency range. In this report, we present the initial exploration of the optical properties of such arrays. Here we show that these potential 2D photonic band gap crystal arrays might find very important applications in optoelectronics.

Position-controlled [100] InP nanowire arrays

Abstract: We investigate the growth of vertically standing [100] zincblende InP nanowire (NW) arrays on InP (100) substrates in the vapor-liquid-solid growth mode using low-pressure metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy. Precise positioning of these NWs is demonstrated by electron beam lithography. The vertical NW yield can be controlled by different parameters. A maximum yield of 56% is obtained and the tapering caused by lateral growth can be prevented by in situ HCl etching. Scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and micro-photoluminescence have been used to investigate the NW properties.

Nanoscale Three-Dimensional Patterning of Molecular Resists by Scanning Probes

Abstract: For patterning organic resists, optical and electron beam lithography are the most established methods; however, at resolutions below 30 nanometers, inherent problems result from unwanted exposure of the resist in nearby areas. We present a scanning probe lithography method based on the local desorption of a glassy organic resist by a heatable probe. We demonstrate patterning at a half pitch down to 15 nanometers without proximity corrections and with throughputs approaching those of Gaussian electron beam lithography at similar resolution. These patterns can be transferred to other substrates, and material can be removed in successive steps in order to fabricate complex three-dimensional structures.

Lithography and Other Patterning Techniques for Future Electronics As integrated circuits continue to go smaller, laying down circuit patterns on semiconductor material becomes more expensive and new techniques are needed.

Abstract: For all technologies, from flint arrowheads to DNA microarrays, patterning the functional material is crucial. For semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs), it is even more critical than for most technologies because enormous benefits accrue to going smaller, notably higher speed and much less energy consumed per computing function. The consensus is that ICs will continue to be manufactured until at least theB22 nm node( (the linewidth of an equal line-space pattern). Most patterning of ICs takes place on the wafer in two steps: a) lithography, the patterning of a resist film on top of the functional material; and b) transferring the resist pattern into the functional material, usually by etching. Here we concentrate on lithography. Optics has continued to be the chosen lithographic route despite its continually forecast demise. A combination of 193-nm radia- tion, immersion optics, and computer-intensive resolution enhancement technology will probably be used for the 45- and 32-nm nodes. Optical lithography usually requires that we first make a mask and then project the mask pattern onto a resist-coated wafer. Making a qualified mask, although origi- nally dismissed as a Bsupport technology,( now represents a significant fraction of the total cost of patterning an IC largely because of the measures needed to push resolution so far beyond the normal limit of optical resolution. Thus, although optics has demonstrated features well below 22 nm, it is not clear that optics will be the most economical in this range; nanometer-scale mechanical printing is a strong contender, extreme ultraviolet is still the official front runner, and electron beam lithography, which has demonstrated minimum features less than 10 nm wide, continues to be developed both for mask making and for directly writing on the wafer (also known as Bmaskless lithography(). Going from laboratory demonstra- tion to manufacturing technology is enormously expensive (9 $1 billion) and for good reason. Just in terms of data rate (mask pattern to resist pattern), today's exposure tools achieve about 10 Tb/s at an allowable error rate of about 1/h; this data rate will double with each generation. In addition, the edge placement precision required will soon be 30 parts per billion. There are so many opportunities for unacceptable perfor- mance that making the right decision goes far beyond under- standing the underlying physical principles. But the benefits of continuing to be able to manufacture electronics at the 22-nm node and beyond appear to justify the investment, and there is no shortage of ideas on how to accomplish this.

Periodically structured metallic substrates for SERS

Abstract: The detection of organic traces by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) requires rough metallic substrates with structures in the nanometer range. Regular metallic structures generated by electron-beam lithography are better reproducible than electrochemical roughened surfaces, island films or films over deposited particles. The lithography also allows optimisation of the dimensions of these structures. The SERS enhancement of optimised periodic structures was found to be at least one order of magnitude larger than that of island films.