X-ray Mask Fabrication Using Diamond Membranes and Metallic Diamondlike Nanocomposite Absorbers

x射线光刻技术发展的主要限制因素之一是缺乏最佳掩模材料。x射线和光学透明度、韧性、高屈服强度和足够的内应力以保持平面性的综合要求限制了候选膜材料的列表。在过去几年研究的各种材料中，金刚石是x射线膜的极好候选材料。x射线掩膜结构需要在膜上形成一个非常粘附的、高原子序数的吸收剂。同时，吸收层不应在沉积过程中产生内应力，因为这将导致随后的蚀刻和加工步骤中的图案扭曲。金属类金刚石纳米复合材料可以合成几乎无应力，并表现出极好的附着力几乎任何基材。第一阶段的提案旨在优化由金刚石膜和w -金刚石类纳米复合材料吸收剂组成的x射线掩膜结构的合成。

One of the major limiting factors in the development of X-ray lithography is the lack of an optimum mask material. The combined requirements of X-ray a nd optical transparency, toughness, high yield strength and sufficient internal stress to maintain flatness, limit the list of candidate materials for membranes. Of the various materials studied over the past several years diamond is an extremely good candidate for an X-ray membrane. The X-ray mask structure requires the formation of an extremely adherent, high atomic number absorber on the membrane. At the same time the absorber layer should not develop internal stresses during deposition as this will lead to pattern distortions following subsequent etching and processing steps. Metallic diamondlike nanocomposites can be synthesized virtually stress-free and exhibit extremely good adhesion to virtually any substrate. The phase I proposal seeks to optimize the synthesis of X-ray mask structures consisting of a diamond membrane and a W-diamondlike nanocomposite absorber.