About cookies on this site Our websites require some cookies to function properly (required). In addition, other cookies may be used with your consent to analyze site usage, improve the user experience and for advertising. For more information, please review your options. By visiting our website, you agree to our processing of information as described in IBM’sprivacy statement. To provide a smooth navigation, your cookie preferences will be shared across the IBM web domains listed here.
Paper
High emittance source for the PREVAIL projection lithography system
Abstract
In the PREVAIL proof of concept electron beam projection lithography system, 1 mm×1 mm sq reticle subfields are illuminated and imaged to a wafer with 4× demagnification. A relatively large beam semiangle (5-8 mr at the wafer) is required to optimize resolution at the beam currents (5-15 μA) needed for high-throughput lithography. A high emittance source and illumination system have been developed which can uniformly illuminate the reticle subfield with a beam semiangle up to 16.3 mr (1/e) at the wafer. The source utilizes a tantalum single crystal 10 mm in diameter. The crystal is heated by electron bombardment incident on the side opposite the emitting surface, which is a low work function crystal plane. A variation of the "critical Köhler" illumination scheme is utilized wherein the cathode surface is imaged approximately to a square shaping aperture, and the shaping aperture is conjugate to the reticle (and the wafer). The emission is temperature limited, so care must be taken to obtain a uniform temperature distribution across the emitter surface. Long term emission current stability better than 1% is provided by servo control of the bombardment heating power. Illumination uniformity has been measured at the wafer plane using a pinhole detector. The measured 3σ variation in current density is 3.2%. On the basis of these results, the tighter specifications required for a commercial PREVAIL projection system appear achievable. © 1999 American Vacuum Society.