BRITE Synergy: Transforming Electron Beam Lithography with Reactive Gases

BRITE Synergy：利用活性气体改变电子束光刻技术

• 批准号: 2135666
• 负责人: Jeffrey Hastings
• 金额: $ 40万
• 依托单位: University of Kentucky Research Foundation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2024-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2135666&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: BRITE; Synergy; Transforming; Electron; Beam

This Boosting Research Ideas for Transformative and Equitable Advances in Engineering (BRITE) Synergy award will support research which seeks to transform the way manufacturers perform electron-beam lithography by introducing a reactive gas that modifies the process chemistry. Electron-beam lithography is critical for nearly all manufacturing at nanometer length scales and is often the first step in fabricating devices in semiconductor electronics, digital imaging, communications, and healthcare. This innovation will enable patterning of new functional materials while also improving the performance of conventional materials. The research program seeks to understand the fundamental physical and chemical mechanisms underlying the effects of reactive gases on the lithographic process, and to use this knowledge to advance lithographic performance. A broad range of industries now relies on nanoscale manufacturing, and thus on electron-beam lithography. This award could thus impact multiple sectors of the U.S. economy while accelerating product development and increasing access to nanotechnology-enabled products. This effort will also expand diversity, equity, and inclusion in advanced manufacturing through workshops for middle-school teachers primarily serving underrepresented groups and multi-disciplinary training for graduate students recruited from underrepresented groups. Electron-beam lithography is the primary pattern generation technology for nearly all nanomanufacturing, from integrated circuit mask making to direct-writing of quantum devices. Focused electron-beam induced processing in gases and liquids provides nanoscale rapid prototyping with functional materials as well as nanoscale repair and editing capabilities. This effort synthesizes research outcomes in these two areas with established knowledge in radiation chemistry and electron-material interactions to enhance understanding of the influence of reactive gases on electron-beam lithography. Specifically, the research seeks to understand how reactive gases can alter radiation chemical processes to expand the range of materials that can be patterned and to improve lithographic performance for conventional electron-beam resists. A rigorous research synthesis program, Hybrid Monte Carlo-continuum simulations, and carefully designed nanopatterning experiments will build knowledge of the relationships between process conditions, such as gas composition and pressure, and lithographic performance metrics, such as sensitivity, contrast, and resolution. Success could transform electron-beam lithography because functional materials could be patterned with resolution and throughput comparable to conventional resists while the performance of conventional resists could be tuned by the reactive gas.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这项促进工程变革和公平进步的研究理念 (BRITE) 协同奖将支持旨在通过引入可改变工艺化学的反应气体来改变制造商执行电子束光刻方式的研究。电子束光刻对于几乎所有纳米长度尺度的制造都至关重要，并且通常是制造半导体电子、数字成像、通信和医疗保健设备的第一步。 这项创新将实现新型功能材料的图案化，同时提高传统材料的性能。 该研究计划旨在了解反应气体对光刻工艺影响的基本物理和化学机制，并利用这些知识来提高光刻性能。 现在，许多行业都依赖于纳米级制造，从而依赖于电子束光刻。 因此，该奖项可能会影响美国经济的多个部门，同时加速产品开发并增加获得纳米技术产品的机会。 这项努力还将通过为主要服务于代表性不足群体的中学教师举办讲习班，以及为从代表性不足群体招收的研究生提供多学科培训，扩大先进制造业的多样性、公平性和包容性。 电子束光刻是几乎所有纳米制造的主要图案生成技术，从集成电路掩模制造到量子器件的直接写入。 气体和液体中的聚焦电子束诱导处理提供了功能材料的纳米级快速原型制作以及纳米级修复和编辑功能。 这项工作综合了这两个领域的研究成果和辐射化学和电子材料相互作用方面的既定知识，以增强对反应气体对电子束光刻影响的理解。 具体来说，该研究旨在了解反应气体如何改变辐射化学过程，以扩大可图案化的材料范围，并提高传统电子束抗蚀剂的光刻性能。 严格的研究综合计划、混合蒙特卡罗连续模拟和精心设计的纳米图案化实验将建立工艺条件（例如气体成分和压力）与光刻性能指标（例如灵敏度、对比度和分辨率）之间关系的知识。 成功可能会改变电子束光刻技术，因为功能材料可以以与传统光刻胶相当的分辨率和吞吐量进行图案化，而传统光刻胶的性能可以通过反应气体进行调整。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

Effect of water vapor pressure on positive and negative tone electron-beam patterning of PMMA

水蒸气压对 PMMA 正负调电子束图案化的影响

• 发表时间: 2022
• 期刊: Ion and Photon Beam Technology and Nanofabrication
• 作者: Deepak Kumar;J. Todd Hastings
• 通讯作者: J. Todd Hastings

Effect of water vapor pressure on positive and negative tone electron-beam patterning of poly(methyl methacrylate)

• DOI: 10.1116/6.0002118
• 发表时间: 2023-01
• 期刊: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B
• 作者: Deepak Kumar;Krishnaroop Chaudhuri;J. Brill;Jonathan T. Pham;J. Hastings

Electron-beam patterning of photoluminescent structures in polystyrene using water vapor

使用水蒸气对聚苯乙烯光致发光结构进行电子束图案化

• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Ion and Photon Beam Technology and Nanofabrication
• 作者: Deepak Kumary;J. Todd Hastings
• 通讯作者: J. Todd Hastings