Electron beam lithography involves direct writing lithographic process using a focused beam of electrons to form patterns by material modification, material deposition, or material removal. Therefore, electron beam lithography is one of the preferred patterning methods used for product development. In electron beam lithography, a resist layer is directly patterned by scanning with an electron beam electronically. Modern electron beam lithography systems feature an outstanding depth of focus and can correct for large scale height variations.
In this post, we elaborate on the reasons why the electron beam lithography systems work best. Therefore, in this post, if you are considering a lithography system, we highlight why you need to consider the electron lithography systems.
1. Allows Printing of Complex Patterns Directly on Wafers
One of the top reasons why ebeam lithography systems are most preferred is to directly print intricate patterns on the wafers. Therefore, using electron beam lithography technology, you save a lot of time and effort, achieving a faster turnaround, critical for customer satisfaction.
2. Eliminates the Diffraction Problem
Diffraction is a severe issue that limits the accuracy of pattern transfer. Therefore, if other lithography systems are causing diffraction, you need to consider an alternative approach, which, ebeam lithography, ensures greater accuracy. Therefore, if other lithography technologies result in diffraction, you should go for electron lithography, which is the best alternative.
3. Comes with a High Resolution
Another advantage of using electron beam lithography is providing a high resolution of up to 20 nm. As you already are aware, the amount of resolution is critical to the overall image quality.
4. Provides a High speed of Production
Almost all high-volume mass-produced texts of today are made using lithography. They include newspapers, maps, magazines, and even posters. Therefore, upon treatment of the lithography plate, it can be used repeatedly to attain rapid succession.
5. Provides Economies of Scale
Another great advantage of deploying the electron beam lithography technology is the ability to deliver economies of scale. Essentially, given the speed with which prints can be made, electron beam lithography is the cheapest approach for producing large-scale commercial print runs. Besides, the electron beam lithography features a long-life of lithographic plates and can reuse them. Further, the technology reduces the cost that is associated with the lithography process.
6. Utilizes Different Electron Beam Sources
The electron beam lithography uses different electron beam sources. The alternative electron beam sources include thermionic emitters, which feature electrons released due to thermal energy. The second alternative is photo emitters, which occur due to incident radiations. The electron beam lithography can also use field emitters as an electron beam source. The field emitter is applicable due to the applied current and quantum mechanical property of electrons.
Therefore, we have looked at various reasons to use electron-beam lithography systems. When choosing the best lithography solution, we advise that you consider the multiple advantages as illustrated in this post.