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EP0200083A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus for low-energy scanning electron beam lithography

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1986-04-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-04-15
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Abstract

Abstract In this apparatus, an electron-sensitive surface of a workpiece (9) is patternized treated to a high resolution pattern of low-energy electrons without any need to do focussing by emitting the low-energy electrons from a pointed electrode (4) and positioning the apex of the pointed electrode (4) suitably close to the surface being treated.

Inventors

  • 👤 Oliver Craig Wells

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 01:52
CPC Classifications
B; B82; B82Y; B82Y10/00; B82Y40/00; H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/30; H01J37/317; H01J37/3174; H01J2237/00; H01J2237/30; H01J2237/317; H01J2237/31732; H01J2237/31733

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim 96 words
Low-energy electron beam lithographic exposure apparatus, comprising: a pointed electrode; a workpiece spaced from said electrode and having an electron sensitive surface facing said electrode, characterized by means (18, 22) providing a flow of low-energy electrons from said electrode 4 to said spaced work-piece (9); means (11, 12, 14) for mechanically scanning said pointed electrode (4) with respect to said workpiece(9), and means (30) for patterning the flow of electrons to said workpiece (9) while scanning said electrode - (4) with respect to said workpiece (9) so as to patternwise expose said electron-sensitive surface - (5).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 96 words
Low-energy electron beam lithographic exposure apparatus, comprising: a pointed electrode; a workpiece spaced from said electrode and having an electron sensitive surface facing said electrode, characterized by means (18, 22) providing a flow of low-energy electrons from said electrode 4 to said spaced work-piece (9); means (11, 12, 14) for mechanically scanning said pointed electrode (4) with respect to said workpiece(9), and means (30) for patterning the flow of electrons to said workpiece (9) while scanning said electrode - (4) with respect to said workpiece (9) so as to patternwise expose said electron-sensitive surface - (5).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 28 words
Low-energy electron beam apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said workpiece (9) is spaced from said electrode (4) by a distance less than 1000 nanometers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 28 words
Low-energy electron beam apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said workpiece (9) is spaced from said electrode (4) by a distance less than 100 nanometers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 28 words
Low-energy electron beam apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said workpiece (9) is spaced from said electrode (4) by a distance less than 10 nanometers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 28 words
Low-energy electron beam apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said workpiece (9) is spaced from said electrode (4) by a distance of about 1 nanometer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 24 words
Low-energy electron beam apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said electron-sensitive surface (5) is the surface of a resist layer (3).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 31 words
Low-energy electron beam apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said means (30) for patterning comprises means (32) for controlling said means (18, 22) providing flow of low-energy electrons.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 33 words
Low-energy electron beam apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said means (30) for patterning comprises means (12, 22) for selectively reducing the flow of low-energy electrons to said work-piece (9).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 45 words
Low-energy electron beam apparatus as defined in claim 8, characterized in that said means (12, 22) for selectively reducing the flow of low-energy electrons to said workpiece (9) comprises means - (12, 40) for selectively withdrawing said pointed electrode (4) away from said workpiece (9).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 52 words
Low-energy electron beam apparatus as defined in claim 8, characterized in that said means - (30) for patterning comprises means (22) for selectively reducing the voltage applied between said electrode (4) and said workpiece (9) during such times that the flow of low-energy electrons to said workpiece (9) is to be reduced.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 33 words
Low-energy electron beam apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said means - (30) for patterning comprises means (22) for selectively interrupting the flow of low-energy electrons to said work-piece (9).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 52 words
Low-energy electron beam apparatus as defined in claim 11, characterized in that said means (18, 22) providing the flow of low-energy electrons comprises voltage source means (18) electrically connected between said electrode (4) and said workpiece (9), except during such times that flow of low-energy electrons to said workpiece (9) is interrupted.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 26 words
Low-energy electron beam apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the separation between said electrode (4) and said workpiece (9) is maintained substantially constant.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 29 words
Low-energy electron beam apparatus as defined in claim 13, characterized by a feedback control circuit (24, 26) operable during the time that the flow of electrons is not interrupted.

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