Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
We describe herein an electron-beam, proximity lithograghic process which operates in soft vacuum (50 mT< p <1 Torr) using highly directed electron emission from a cold cathode. The electron-beam operates with large areas(<10 cm2) and with large total currents (Ipeak< 100A). Using this soft vacuum beam we could replicate feature sizes of ∼0.5 μm on∼3 μm thick PMMA, with a resist layer to stencil mask spacing of 25 to 30 μm. While resist exposed in a helium background showed vertical wall profiles (developed thickness ∼3 ¼m), resists exposed in air showed sloped walls (∼ 60°). Resist behavior also appears to be dependent on the number of pulses used for exposure ranging from simple exposure ( 1 to 5 pulses) to self-development ( >25 pulses).