Extreme ultraviolet/soft X-ray laser nano-scale patterning using the demagnified talbot effect

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9007562-B2
Application number	US-201313871879-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2013
Priority date	Apr 26, 2012
Publication date	Apr 14, 2015
Grant date	Apr 14, 2015

Abstract

An apparatus and method for nanopatterning of substrates using the demagnified Talbot effect, wherein: (a) large arrays of nanostructures can rapidly be printed; (b) short extreme ultraviolet wavelengths permits sub-100 nm spatial resolution; (c) the de-magnification factor can be continuously adjusted, that is, continuously scaled; (d) the patterning is the effect of the collective diffraction of numerous tiled units that constitute the periodic array, giving rise to error resistance such that a defect in one unit is averaged over the area of the mask and the print does not show any defects; (e) the Talbot mask does not wear out since the method is non-contact; and (f) the feature sizes on the mask do not have to be as small as the feature sizes desired on the target, are described. The apparatus includes a source of coherent radiation having a chosen wavelength directed onto a focusing optic, the reflected converging light passing through a Talbot mask and impinging on a target substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for producing nanometer-scale patterning on the surface of a sample, comprising:
a light source for generating a coherent light beam having a chosen wavelength
a focusing optic into which the light beam from said light source is directed, for causing the light beam emerging therefrom to converge; and
a Talbot mask having a periodic pattern of nanometer-scale unit cells formed thereon, said Talbot mask disposed in the converging light beam from said focusing optic at a first chosen distance from said focusing optic such that the converging light beam passes therethrough; the sample being disposed at a second chosen distance from said Talbot mask and having a photosensitive surface thereon responsive to the light beam passing through said Talbot mask, for generating a nanostructure having the pattern of unit cells of said Talbot mask on said sample.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second chosen distance is the distance of the first Talbot plane.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second chosen distance is one-fourth or three-fourths of the distance of the first Talbot plane.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first chosen distance is the distance at which a chosen demagnification of the pattern of arrays of unit cells occurs.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said focusing optic comprises a mirror.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said light source comprises an extreme ultraviolet laser.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said photosensitive surface comprises a photoresist.

Assignees

• Univ Colorado State Res Found
• Synopsys Inc

Inventors

• Marconi Mario C
• Urbanski Lukasz
• Rocca Jorge J
• Isoyan Artak

Classifications

• G03F7/2053 Primary

  using a laser (ablative removal B41C) · CPC title

• G03F7/2047

  Exposure with radiation other than visible light or UV light, e.g. shadow printing, proximity printing · CPC title

• G03F7/7035 Primary

  Proximity or contact printers · CPC title

• G03F7/70408

  Interferometric lithography; Holographic lithography; Self-imaging lithography, e.g. utilizing the Talbot effect · CPC title

• B41J2/465 Primary

  using masks, e.g. light-switching masks · CPC title