Method for directing an electron beam onto a target position on a substrate surface

US6635884B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Leica Microsystems Lithography · DE

Inventors

• Rainer Plontke · Magdala, DE
• Ines Stolberg · Jena, DE
• Michael Blume · Jena, DE
• Rainer Kaebsch · Kahla, DE
• Matthias Zierbock · Graitschen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 5, 2001
• Grant date: Oct 21, 2003
• Expiry date: Oct 20, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01J2237/3175
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

The invention refers to the field of electron beam lithography, in particular to a method for directing an electron beam (6) onto a target position (Z) on the surface of a substrate, the substrate first being placed onto a movable stage (2) and the stage (2) then being displaced stepwise, in the X and/or Y coordinates of a Cartesian grid, until the target position (Z) is located at a spacing from the impact point (P) of the undeflected electron beam (6) which is smaller than the smallest step distance of the stage displacement system, and then the electron beam (6) is directed onto the target position (Z) by deflection.This results in a considerable increase in positioning accuracy in electron beam lithography. Positioning accuracies on the order of 0.1 nm to 0.05 are achievable. The method is suitable in particular for writing grating patterns in which the spacing between the individual grating lines must be maintained with high accuracy.