Monte Carlo Simulation of Spatial Resolution Limits in Electron Beam Lithography

Computer simulation of high energy primary electron scattering and subsequent generation of fast secondary electrons in thin film targets is demonstrated with Monte Carlo techniques. The hybrid model of Murata et al. (1981) is utilized to calculate the generation and subsequent spatial trajectory of each secondary electron in the target. The 3-dimensional spatial distribution of energy dissipation by such fast secondary electrons is shown to be the fundamental resolution limit for electron beam lithography with high-voltage beams (100 keV) and thin film polymer targets. The dependence of resolution on beam voltage and film thickness is presented, and quantitative comparison is made between these new Monte Carlo calculations and the limited amount of experimental data available in the scientific literature