REBL nanowriter: Reflective Electron Beam Lithography

Abstract

REBL (Reflective Electron Beam Lithography) is being developed for high throughput electron beam direct write maskless lithography. The system is specifically targeting 5 to 7 wafer levels per hour throughput on average at the 45 nm node, with extendibility to the 32 nm node and beyond. REBL incorporates a number of novel technologies to generate and expose lithographic patterns at estimated throughputs considerably higher than electron beam lithography has been able to achieve as yet. A patented reflective electron optic concept enables the unique approach utilized for the Digital Pattern Generator (DPG). The DPG is a CMOS ASIC chip with an array of small, independently controllable cells or pixels, which act as an array of electron mirrors. In this way, the system is capable of generating the pattern to be written using massively parallel exposure by ~1 million beams at extremely high data rates (~ 1Tbps). A rotary stage concept using a rotating platen carrying multiple wafers optimizes the writing strategy of the DPG to achieve the capability of high throughput for sparse pattern wafer levels. The exposure method utilized by the DPG was emulated on a Vistec VB-6 in order to validate the gray level exposure method used in REBL. Results of these exposure tests are discussed.