50 keV electron-beam projection maskless lithography (PML2): results obtained with 2,500 programmable 12.5-nm sized beams

Projection Mask-Less Lithography (PML2) is a potentially cost-effective electron multi-beam solution for the 16 nm hp ITRS technology node and beyond. First results obtained with a PML2 Testbench are presented where a programmable Aperture Plate System (APS) was used to generate ca. 2500 micrometer-sized beams which are projected onto wafer level with 200x demagnification. The APS contains CMOS electronics which allows for addressable deflection of selected beams; only non-deflected beams make it to the wafer surface to achieve 12.5 nm spot size. Beam energy (50keV) and current density (~2 A/cm2) are the same as in future PML2 production tools. Thus, the results obtained with the PML2 Testbench unambiguously prove the patterning capabilities of the PML2 technology.