Optical microscope and SEM images of generated devices, i-line stepper & e-beam exposed - Courtesy of FhG-ENAS/ TUC-ZfM, Germany

The ongoing miniaturization of integrated circuits (IC‘s) and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) demands the fabrication of increasingly small and complex patterns with requirements for precision and resolution down to the nanometer scale. The mix & match approach or hybrid lithography, which is the combination of at least two different patterning techniques on same resist layer is one method to fabricate complex patterns with different dimensions ranging from µm down to below 100 nm scale with reduced e-beam writing time and shortened lithographical processing.

Here the use of ma-N 1400, a classical UV-sensitive negative resist, well suited as etch mask exhibiting high dry and wet etch resistance, is demonstrated in a mix & match approach.

Reference examples

10. C. H. Canpolat-Schmidt, G. Heldt, C. Helke, A. Voigt, D. Reuter "Lithographic performance of resist ma-N 1402 in an e-beam/i-line stepper intra-level mix and match approach, SPIE 12472, 37th European Mask and Lithography Conference, 124720J (1 November 2022); doi:10.1117/12.2639447
11. C. Helke, C.H. Canpolat-Schmidt, G. Heldt, S. Schermer, S. Hartmann, A. Voigt, D. Reuter „Intra-level mix and match lithography with electron beam lithography and i-line stepper combined with resolution enhancement for structures below the CD-limit“ Micro and Nano Engineering, Volume 19 (2023) 100189 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mne.2023.100189

10. J. Thoen, V. Murugesan, A. Pascual Laguna, K. Karatsu, A. Endo, J. J. A. Baselmans „Combined ultraviolet- and electron-beam lithography with Micro-Resist-Technology GmbH ma-N1400 resist“ J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 40, 052603 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0001918

Links to related product pages

ma-N 1400