Multi-stencil character projection e-beam lithography: a fast and flexible way for high quality optical metamaterials

In this work we report on the strong improvement of pattern quality and significant write-time reduction using Character Projection with a multi-stencil character stage with more than 2000 apertures for the fabrication of nanomaterials and, in particular, on an optical metamaterial, which is called “Metamaterial Perfect Absorber”. The Character Projection ebeam lithography allows the transition from the time-consuming serial to a fast quasi-parallel writing method and opens the way for the fabrication of device areas which are impossible to realize with often in the R&D used SEM based Gaussian electron beam-writers. More than 150.000 times faster than the comparable Gaussian E-beam exposure, 100 times faster and with a factor of 10 improved pattern size homogeneity than the corresponding Variable Shaped E-beam exposure – these are our main results for the fabrication of optical metamaterials using a Variable Shaped E-beam with Character Projection.