Pushing the capabilities of electron-beam lithography to the sub-10-nanometer domain has required more than 30 years of research by many researchers. We are just now achieving robust fabrication of sub-10-nanometer-period dense structures. We recently used Raith's 150TWO electron-beam lithography system, and MIT's salty-development process. This work will enable top-down lithography to finally make contact to the molecular scale, which traditionally only self-assembled systems have been able to access.

Understanding of Hydrogen Silsesquioxane Electron Resist for Sub-5-nm-Half-Pitch Lithography
Joel K.W. Yang, Bryan Cord, and Karl K. Berggren, Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B 27, pp. 2622-2627 (2009).

Limiting Factors in Sub-10-nm Scanning-Electron-Beam Lithography

Sub-10-nm scanning-electron-beam lithography is a technique that enables fabrication of quantum devices into the nanometer and molecular scale, being an active area of research. Here we present an extensive study over the limitations of sub-10-nm scanning-electron-beam lithography. We mainly analyze the resolution limits over the effects of electron-beam-diameter, electron energies, development process, and theoretical limits. Metrology challenges are also considered. Resist development is most likely to be the major limiting factor.

Bryan Cord, Joel Yang, Huigao Duan, David C. Joy, Joseph Klingfus, and Karl K. Berggren, Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B 27, pp. 2616-2621 (2009).

Collaborators

• David C. Joy (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)
• Joseph Klingfus (Raith USA)
• Ki-Bum Kim (Seoul National University)
• Michael J. Rooks (Yale University)

Sponsors

• King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and Al'Faisal University