Nanolithography using a 100 kV electron beam lithography system with a Schottky emitter

We present lithography results with a new electron beam lithography system using a W/ZrO Schottky emitter operating at 100 kV acceleration voltage. Th e wide range of available beam currents between 100 pA and 50 nA allows bot h high resolution nanolithography and large area patterning. Resolution tes ts with line and dot arrays patterned by lift off using a poly(methyl/metha crylate) resist showed a minimum linewidth of 12 nm for 36 nm line pitch wr itten with a beam current of 1.1 nA, 15 nm for 50 Mn pitch written with 3 n A and 30 nm for 100 nm pitch written at 12 nA. The smallest spacing between features at 1.1 nA current was 36 nm for lines and 32 nm for dot arrays. T he high current density of the beam at very small spot sizes makes the syst em a promising tool for nanofabrication using both conventional resist as w ell as high resolution but low sensitivity inorganic resist. (C) 1999 Ameri can Vacuum Society. [S0734-211X(99)03501-5].