Carl Zeiss Sms Ltd.

Ims Nanofabrication Gmbh

Ims-ionen Mikrofabrikations Systeme Gmbh

Ims Ionen Mikrofabrikations Systeme Gesellschaft M.b.h.

Ims Ionen Mikrofabrations Systeme Gesellschaft M.b.h.

Ims-ionen Mikropfabrikations Systeme Gmbh

Ims Mikrofabrikations Systeme Gmbh

Ims Ionen Mikrofabrikations Systeme Gellschaft M.b.h.

Ims-ionen Mikrofabrikations Systems Bmgh

Ims-innenmikrofabrikations Systeme Gmbh

Herbert Vonach

Gerhard Stengl

Alfred Chalupka

Elmar Platzgummer

Herbert Buschbeck

Hans Loeschner

Hans Loschner

Gertraud Lammer

Robert Nowak

Till Windischbauer

A charged particle system comprises a particle source for generating a beam of charged particles and a particle-optical projection system. The particle-optical projection system comprises a focusing first magnetic lens () comprising an outer pole piece () having a radial inner end ('), and an inner pole piece () having a lowermost end () disposed closest to the radial inner end of the outer pole piece, a gap being formed by those; a focusing electrostatic lens () having at least a first electrode () and a second electrode () disposed in a region of the gap; and a controller (C) configured to control a focusing power of the first electrostatic lens based on a signal indicative of a distance of a surface of a substrate from a portion of the first magnetic lens disposed closest to the substrate.

Charged particle system

In a particle multibeam lithography apparatus an illumination system () having a particle source () produces an illuminating beam () of electrically charged particles, and a multibeam optical system () positioned after the illumination system () and comprising at least one aperture plate having an array of a plurality of apertures to form a plurality of sub-beams focuses the sub-beams onto the surface of a substrate (), wherein for each sub-beam () a deflection unit () is positioned within the multibeam optical system and adapted to correct individual imaging aberrations of the respective sub-beam with respect to the desired target position and/or position the sub-beam during a writing process an the substrate surface. Preferably, for each sub-beam the respective aperture of the first aperture plate defines the size and shape of the sub-beam cross-section and the multibeam optical system produces a demagnified image of the aperture on the substrate surface, with a demagnification of at least 20:1.

Particle multibeam lithography

A device ( ) for defining a pattern, for use in a particle-beam exposure apparatus ( ), said device adapted to be irradiated with a beam (lb,pb) of electrically charged particles and let pass the beam only through a plurality of apertures, comprises an aperture array means ( ) and a blanking means ( ). The aperture array means ( ) has a plurality of apertures ( ) of identical shape defining the shape of beamlets (bm). The blanking means ( ) serves to switch off the passage of selected beamlets; it has a plurality of openings ( ), each corresponding to a respective aperture ( ) of the aperture array means ( ) and being provided with a deflection means ( ) controllable to deflect particles radiated through the opening off their path (p ) to an absorbing surface within said exposure apparatus ( ). The apertures ( ) are arranged on the blanking and aperture array means ( ) within a pattern definition field (pf) being composed of a plurality of staggered lines (p ) of apertures. Each of the lines (p ) comprises alternately first segments (sf) which are free of apertures and second segments (af) which each comprise a number of apertures spaced apart by a row offset (pm), said row offset being a multiple of the width (w) of apertures, the length (A) of said first segments (sf) being greater than the row offset. In front of the blanking means ( ) as seen in the direction of the particle beam, a cover means ( ) is provided having a plurality of openings ( ), each corresponding to a respective opening ( ) of the blanking means and having a width (w1) which is smaller than the width (w2) of the openings ( ) of the blanking array means.

Maskless particle-beam system for exposing a pattern on a substrate

Process for producing a structured mask

An arrangement for shadow-casting lithography by focusing electrically charged particles for the purpose of imaging structures of a mask on a substrate disposed immediately to the rear thereof, comprising a particle source (2) and an extraction system (3) which produces a divergent particle beam issuing from a substantially point-shaped virtual source, and comprising a lens (6) for focusing the divergent particle beam which comprises an electrode arrangement (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h) which includes at least one electrostatic collector lens (6a to 6f in conjunction with an electrostatic diverging lens (6g, 6h) in order to be able to compensate lens errors of the collector lens in a purposeful manner with respect to lens errors of the diverging lens and to render possible a predeterminable change in the imaging scale. The diverging lens is preferably disposed in the beam direction at a distance to the rear of the collector lens in immediate proximity of the mask in order to be able to use the mask as a grating for the diverging lens.

Arrangement for shadow-casting lithography

Particle beam, in particular ionic optic imaging system

An arrangement for masked beam lithography by means of electrically charged particles for the imaging of structures of a mask on a substrate arranged behind it, with a substantially punctiform particle source (Q) and an extraction system (Ex) for a specific type of charged particles which leave the source (Q) in the form of a divergent particle beam, and with an electrode arrangement (B, B', El.sub.1, El.sub.2, E.sub.3, . . . El.sub.n) for concentrating the divergent particle beam into a particle beam which is at least approximately parallel, by means of which an electrostatic acceleration field (E) is generated, the potential (U) of which in the beam direction has a constant gradient at least in parts and perpendicular to the beam direction is substantially constant at least within the beam cross-section. The electrode arrangement can be formed for example by a plurality of coaxial ring electrodes (El.sub.1, El.sub.2, El.sub.3, . . . El.sub.n) which are disposed at intervals behind one another in the beam direction, by a coaxial hollow cylinder which is aligned in the beam direction or a grating with a predetermined constant electrical resistance per unit of length, or by a plurality of longitudinal bars which are aligned in the beam direction, disposed parallel on surface of an imaginary coaxial cylinder with a predetermined constant electrical resistance per unit of length.

Arrangement for masked beam lithography by means of electrically charged

Projection system for charged particles

A system for ion-beam imaging of a structure of a mask on a wafer has a two-lens set between the mask and the wafer which is made up of a preferably accelerating Einzel lens proximal to the mask and an asymmetric accelerating Einzel proximal to the wafer.

Ion-optical imaging system

In an ion optical imaging system, especially for lithographic imaging on a wafer, two collecting lenses are provided between the mask and the wafer. At least one of the collecting lenses is a three-electrode grid lens, i.e. a lens in which a grid is disposed perpendicular to the optical axis between a pair of tubular electrodes.

Particle-beam imaging system

Growing community of inventors

Klosterneuburg, Austria

Herbert Vonach