NER: Massively Parallel Electron Photoemitter Micro-arrays for Nanoscale Lithography, Imaging, and Inspection Applications

Oregon Health & Science University, Portland OR

Investigators

Abstract

NER: Massively Parallel Electron Photoemitter Micro-arrays for Nanoscale Lithography, Imaging and Inspection Applications Present electron-beam lithography, imaging and inspection systems are limited to serial scanning of patterns with only one beam. As a result the ability of such systems to scan substantial areas at nanoscale resolution with practical throughput is not possible. However if such machines were to scan using a massively parallel array of independently modulated beams, the resultant parallelism would make possible not only significantly improved throughput for conventional applications in the nanoscale environment but also enable faster device development by software changeable patterns. However at this time there is no practical multiple-beam electron emitter source available that will meet system-level performance and reliability requirements. The goal of the proposed research is to prove feasibility of photocathode microarrays for massively parallel and independently modulated electron sources. A key deliverable of the research will be a fabricated individually gated array of sources with sufficient emission current density to expose a line of electron sensitive resist 5 to 100nm in width. The successful demonstration of feasibility for photocathode massively parallel microarrays will require a stable, low noise and reproducible photocathode and a viable scheme for fabrication and independently modulating the current in each beam. As a result the work will focus on two key aspects. First the extension of our previous work to develop a thin film stack photocathode and pretreatments that will provide the emission stability and intensity necessary and second to examine schemes for producing microarrays using such photoemitters. Photoelectron source arrays will make nanoscale lithography and rapid e-beam review testing possible. Lithography and testing on the nanoscale are necessary if the manufacturing at this scale for microelectronic devices, sensors and electrical- mechanical systems is to become as high in yield and rapid as sub-micron fabrication is today.