METHOD FOR FABRICATING SUBMICRON SILICIDE STRUCTURES ON SILICON USINGA RESISTLESS ELECTRON-BEAM LITHOGRAPHY PROCESS

A novel resistless lithography process using a conventional electron b eam system is presented. Metallic lines with widths of less than 50 nm were produced on silicon substrates. The process is based on localize d heating with a focused electron beam of thin platinum layers deposit ed on silicon. It is demonstrated that silicide formation occurs at th e Pt-Si interface. By using a dilute solution of aqua regia, it is pos sible to obtain a sufficient difference in etch rates between exposed and unexposed regions of the platinum thin film to selectively remove only the unexposed areas. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.