Rc. Farrow et al., APPLICATION OF TRANSMISSION ELECTRON DETECTION TO SCALPEL MASK METROLOGY, Journal of vacuum science & technology. B, Microelectronics and nanometer structures processing, measurement and phenomena, 15(6), 1997, pp. 2167-2172
Linewidth measurements were performed on a 4X scattering with angular
limitation in projection electron lithography (SCALPEL) e-beam lithogr
aphy mask using the transmitted electron signal in a modified scanning
electron microscope. Features as small as 0.24 mu m were measured on
the mask. The thin membrane mask structure that was used is found to p
rovide sufficient transmitted signal contrast at energies ranging from
10 to 30 keV. The linewidth measurement accuracy is mostly limited by
the variations in the material and not the measurement system. It is
concluded that the linewidth measurement technique using transmitted e
lectrons is suitable for the potential certification of SCALPEL mask s
tandards. (C) 1997 American Vacuum Society.