Resolution capability of EBM-6000 and EBM-7000 for Nano-imprint template

Nano-Imprint Lithography (NIL) is one of the leading potential solutions for next generation lithography. Obtaining full field template with fine pattern resolution and reasonable throughput are the critical challenges in NIL. In a previous study, we reported the pattern resolution capability of EBM-6000 under nominal operation conditions (Current density: 70 A/cm2) that can be applied to CMOS device fabrication of 45 nm hp generation1. Smaller blur for better resolution is necessary to make NIL templates for 32nm hp generation and beyond. Blur in patterning process can be suppressed with smaller process blur, smaller aberration of electron optics, smaller forward scattering in resist and coulomb interaction among electrons. Beam blur incurred by coulomb interaction among electrons in EBM-6000 can be reduced with lower current density. In this paper, resolution extendibility of EBM-6000 with lower current density (30 A/cm2) was tested as one of the resolution enhancement techniques. Smaller aberration of electron optics is also effective to improve the resolution. We also checked the resolution of EBM-7000 under nominal operation conditions (Current density: 200 A/cm2) for a basic study of this paper. EBM-7000, which was developed for mask fabrication of 32 nm hp generation and mask development of 22 nm hp generation, will keep using 50 kV acceleration voltage and enhanced electron optics with smaller aberration as compared with EBM-6000.