MicroelectronicEngineering11 (1990)427-430 427

ElsevierScience Publishers B.V.

HIGH-RESOLUTION FOCUSED ION BEAM LITHOGRAPHY

Shinji Matsui, Yoshikatsu Kojima, Yukinori Ochiai,

*Toshiyuki Honda and Katsumi Suzuki

Fundamental Research Laboratories, *Microelectronics Research

Laboratories, NEC Corporation, 34, Miyukigaoka Tsukuba, Ibaraki
305, JAPAN

The resolution of focused ion beam (FIB) lithography has been studied
by proximity effect measurement and fine pattern fabrication. In
proximity effect measurement, a 0.1 pm line pattern., according to the
gap between square and line patterns! could be achieved. Moreover,
0.1 pm linewidth novolak based negative resist could be fabricated at
2X1012 ions/cm2 dose by 260 keV Be++ FIB with 0.1 pm beam
diameter. FIB lithography has also been applied to fabricating O.lpm
NMOS gate patterns and X-ray masks.

1. INTRODUCTION

Focused ion beam (FIB) can be utilized for maskless ion implantation, maskless
ion etching, and high resolution lithographic processes’-6! Ion beam lithography
is a new potential means for producing electronic devices with submicron
dimensions7’. Electron beam (EB) lithography is commonly applied for the
delineation of patterns with submicron dimensions. However, it involves several
problems, such as low resist sensitivity, backscattering and proximity effects, for
submicron lithography. On the other hand, ion beam lithography is a new
technique which overcomes the above-mentioned problems. First, resist exposure
sensitivity for ion beam lithograpy is two or more orders of magnitude higher than
that. for electron beam lithograpy@. Second, ion beam lithograpy has an
advantage in submicron device microfabrication, because of negligible ion
scattering in the resist and low backscattering from the substrateg’. This paper
demonstrates high precision and high resolution patterning for FIB lithography5).

2. EXPERIMENTAL

All FIB exposures were carried out with the JEOL JIBL-150 systemlO’. The
maximum accelerating voltage and minimum beam diameter are 150 kV and 0.1
pm, respectively. Poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) positive resist (Tokyo Oka
Corp., OEBR-1000) and novolak based negative resist (Shipley Co., SAL 601-
ER7)“’ were used to demonstrate high resolution FIB lithography. Prebaking
was carried out in a nitrogen atomosphere at 170°C for 30 minutes (PMMA) and
80°C for 30 minutes (novolak based negative resist), respectively. After ion-beam
exposure, the PMMA coated wafers were developed by dipping for 1 minute in a
methylisobuthyl ketone (MIBK) and isopropyl alchol (IPA) solution in a 1:3 ratio
at 25°C. Then, they were rinsed by a 1 minute dip in IPA. On the other hand, for
novolak based negative resist, after ion-beam exposure and prior to development,
post-exposure baking was carried out at 105°C for 7 minutes in a nitrogen
atomosphere. Next, the novolak based ne ative resist coated wafers were
developed by dipping for 6 minutes in Shipley gsAL-MF622 developer. Then, they
were rinsed in H20.

0167-9317/90/$3.50
0 1990,ElsevierScience Publishers B.V.
428 S. Matsui et al. I High-resolution FIB lithography

3. RESULS AND DISCUSSIONS

3. 1. Proximity Effects

Proximity effects for FIB and EB lithography have been compared, as shown in
Fig.1. EB exposures were carried out with a JEOL 5DII system. A 0.1 pm-thick
PMMA resist, coated onto the Si substrate, was used in this experiment. A
20X30(pm) square pattern was exposed close to the 0.2 pm linewidth pattern.
The gap between the square and line patterns was 0.1 pm. Figures l(a) and (b)
show patterns exposed at 2.4X101’ ions/cm’ by 150 keV Ga+ FIB with 0.1 pm
beam diameter and 1.1X10i5 electrons/cm2 by 20 keV EB with 0.1 pm beam
diameter, respectively. For FIB exposure, a 0.1 pm line pattern, according to the
gap between square and line patterns, could be achieved, as shown in Fig. l(a).
On the other hand, for EB exposure, a 0.1 pm line pattern, according to the gap,
disappeared due to the proximity effect. The experimental result demonstrates
high precision pattern control for FIB lithography, compared with EB
lithography.

0.2pm

0. lfim

d
--I
20pm

2
r-

L_ &in
(a) FIB exposure
Fig. 1 Comparison between proximity effects characteristics, by FIB and EB.
(a) 150keV Ga+FIB 2.4X 1012 ions/cm2.
(b) 2OkeV EB 1.1 X 1015 electrons/cm2.

3.2. High Resolution Patterns

FIB lithography resolution has been

studied by a 260 keV Be++ FIB using
novolak based negative resist. Figure 2
shows a novolak based negative resist
pattern, fabricated at 2 X 101’ ions/cm2
dose by 260 keV Be + + FIB. Linewidth and
resist thickness are 0.1 pm and 0.6 pm,
respectively. The measured contrast value
for the novolak based negative resist is 8.4.
On the other hand, it has been reported
that the contrast value for 20 keV EB is
4.4 ll). The contrast value for 260 keV
Be++ FIB is about twice that for 20 keV
EB. Therefore, it is expected that exellent
novolak based negative patterns can be
fabricated by FIB lithography.
Exceptionally excellent patterns are
demonstrated by the vertical sidewall
profile.
Fig. 2 O.lpm linewidth novolak based
negative resist patterns produced by
FIB lithography.
 S. Matsui et al. I High-resolution FIB lithography 429

3.3.O.lpm NMOS Gate Formation

NMOS FETs were fabricated by the hybrid device processes using FIB and an
optical stepper. A 4”Si wafer was used. Resistration accuracy was measured by
means of verniers graduations for hybrid exposure using FIB and an optical
stepper. According to the results, the overlay accuracy value was 0.2pm at 20.
FIB lithography with a bilevel structure2) was applied for a gate formation.
Initially, a l.Opm thick MB2400 bottom layer is spin-coated on a substrate, and
baked at 250°C for lhour, in order to increase adhesion between the resist and the
substrate. Next, a 0.2pm thick Silicone-based Negative Resist (Toyo Soda
Manufacturing Co., SNR) top resist layer is spin-coated on the bottom layer.
Then! it is baked at 80°C for 30 minutes. Finally, the bottom layer is etched by .02
reactive ion etching (IRE), with SNR resist as a mask. Fine gate patterns with
O.lpm linewidth were formed by FIB lithography, as shown in Fig. 3. The SNR
top layer pattern was produced by 260keV Si+ 1.5 X 1012
430 S. Matsui et al. I High-resolution FIB lithography

(a) w
Fig. 4 X-ray mask fabrication by FIB lithography.
(a)0.3pm line and space SAW device patterns.
(b) Fabricated X-ray mask.

4. CONCLUSION

High precision and high resolution patterning have been demonstrated for FIB
lithography. Proximity effects for FIB and EB lithography have been compared.
As a result, for FIB exposure, a 0.1 pm line pattern, according to the gap between
square and line patterns, could be achieved. On the other hand, for EB exposure,
the 0.1 pm line pattern disappeared, due to the proximity effect. 0.1 linewidth
and pm period based negative pattern could achieved at
X 1012 dose by keV Be + FIB. results indicate FIB
lithography is better 0.1 pm. FIB lithography
applied to O.lpm NMOS patterns and masks.

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