Specific Process Knowledge/Lithography/EBeamLithography

From LabAdviser

The JEOL JBX-9500 electron beam lithography system is a spot electron beam type lithography system designed for writing patterns with dimensions from nanometers to sub-micrometers. The minimum electron beam is around 12 nm, the maximum writitng field without stitching is 1 mm x 1 mm.

The machine is located in a class 10 cleanroom (E-2) with tight temperature and moisture control. The room must only be entered when the machines or equipment inside the room is intended to be used.


Performance of the e-beam writer

Purpose pattern an electron sensitive resist Mainly for pattering structures with minimum feature size between 20 nm - 1 µm
Performance Resolution
  • Minimum electron-beam size: 12 nm
Maximum writing area without stitching
  • 1mm x 1mm
Process parameter range E-beam voltage
  • 100kV
Scanning speed
  • 100MHz
Min. electron beam size
  • 10nm
Min. step size
  • 1nm
Beam current range
  • 0.1nA to 60nA in normal conditions (see available condition files here)
Dose range
  • 0.001µC/cm2 to 100000µC/cm2
Samples Batch size

Wafer cassettes:

  • 6 x 2" wafers
  • 2 x 4" wafers
  • 1 x 6" wafer
  • Special wafer cassette with slit openings of 20 mm (position A), 12 mm (position B), 8 mm (position C) and 4 mm (position D).
Substrate material allowed
  • Silicon wafers
  • Wafers with layers of silicon oxide or silicon (oxy)nitride
  • Wafers with layers of metal
  • III-V materials
  • Quartz wafers
  • Pyrex wafers

Getting started

Only DTU Danchip personnel is allowed to load or unload cassettes to or from the machine

To request a training session or a time-slot for the e-beam, contact the e-beam team via this link: e-beam@danchip.dtu.dk'

You need 3-4 training sessions before being allowed to use the e-beam writer. You can get training in loading and unloading samples into a cassette, to optically pre-align the samples, to calibrate the writer, to perform 2nd alignment and start exposure. For safety reasons, the costumer is however not allowed to load or unload cassettes to or from the e-beam writer.

Before you request for a training, it is crucial to have your pattern ready in either tdb-format or GDSII format. Also, check your pattern in e.g. CleWin before requesting. In order to reach the files from the computers inside the cleanroom, it is recommended to either dropbox them or send them per email to yourself.

It is also recommended to gather as much knowledge about your e-beam run from your colleagues, i.e. which e-beam current, aperture and dose to use, which shot pitch (e.g. SHOT A,10). In order to get an overview of what an e-beam process requires, it is recommended to a assist a fully trained colleague of yours when she or he e-beam writes. Furthermore, please read the e-beam manual for more information on which parameters to use.

On the L-drive, a logbook for the e-beam writer can be found. Sheet 1 gives you an overview of which condition files (currents and apertures) have been in use recently by which user on which type of resist. On sheet 2 in this logbook you can find a writing time estimation program; please use this prior to requesting e-beam sessions. If in doubt how to use it, contact the e-beam team at [1].

There are 3 manuals for the e-beam writer:

  • A user manual describing the standard procedure when e-beam writing
  • A jdf-, and sdf-file manual describing how to prepare sdf-, and jdf-files (found under 'Technical Documents')
  • A BEAMER manual describing how to convert your pattern file (GDSII-format) to v30-format (found under 'Technical Documents')

Process Flows

ZEP520A is used as a standard positive e-beam resist. A process flow for spinning, e-beam exposing and development of this resist can be downloaded here (word format): Process_Flow_ZEP.docx; please note that the individual steps of the process flow should be optimised to your specific processing technique, this process flow thus being a guideline.



You can use the SSE-spinner, the Manual Spinner 1 or the III-V spinner to coat wafer or chips with e-beam resist. Read more about these spinners here (opens in a new tab).

  • ZEP520A (standard resist), FLOW
  • table of available resists



Resist ZEP520A ZEP7000 PMMA MMA (AR-P 617.05) CSAR HSQ/XR-1541 Ma-N 2403 Mr EBL 6000 AR-N 7520
Polarity Positive Positive Positive Positive Positive Negative Negative Negative Negative


Manufacturer ZEON ZEON AllResist AllResist DOW Corning Micro Resist Micro Resist AllResist
Comments Standard positive resist. Low dose to clear. Used for trilayer (PEC-free) resist-stack. Please contact Lithography. Approved, not tested yet. Used for trilayer (PEC-free) resist-stack or double-layer lift-off resist stack. Approved, not tested yet. Should work quite similar as ZEP520A. Please contact Lithography. Approved, not tested yet. Standard negative resist Negative resist to be tested soon.
Technical Report ZEP520A.pdf ZEP7000.pdf AR_P617.pdf‎ CSAR_62_and_process_chemicals.pdf‎


Spinner SSE, Manual Spinner 1, III-V Spinner Manual Spinner 1, III-V spinner Manual Spinner 1, III-V spinner Manual Spinner 1, III-V spinner Manual Spinner 1, III-V spinner Manual Spinner 1, III-V spinner Manual Spinner 1, III-V spinner Manual Spinner 1, III-V spinner Manual Spinner 1, III-V spinner
Developer ZED-N50/Hexyl Acetate,n-amyl acetate, oxylene. JJAP-51-06FC05.pdf‎, JVB001037.pdf‎ ZED-N500/Hexyl Acetate,n-amyl acetate, oxylene MIBK:IPA (1:3)/IPA:H2O AR600-55/MIBK:IPA X AR 600-54-6/MIBK:IPA TMAH/AZ400K:H2O Ma-D333/TMAH, MIF726 mr. Dev XX
Rinse IPA IPA IPA H2O H2O H2O
Remover acetone/1165 acetone/1165 acetone/1165/Pirahna acetone/1165 acetone/O2 plasma
Process Flow (docx-format) Process_Flow_ZEP.docx Trilayer stack: Process_Flow_Trilayer_Ebeam_Resist.docx‎ AA Trilayer stack: Process_Flow_Trilayer_Ebeam_Resist.docx‎ Process_Flow_CSAR.docx‎ BB BB BB BB


Resist Polarity Manufacturer Comments Technical reports Spinner Developer Rinse Remover Process flows (in docx-format)
ZEP520A Positive ZEON Standard reists ZEP520A.pdf SSE, Manual Spinner 1, III-V Spinner ZED-N50/Hexyl Acetate,n-amyl acetate, oxylene. JJAP-51-06FC05.pdf‎, JVB001037.pdf‎ IPA acetone/1165 Process_Flow_ZEP.docx


ZEP7000 Positive ZEON Low dose to clear. Used for trilayer (PEC-free) resist-stack. Please contact Lithography. ZEP7000.pdf Manual Spinner 1, III-V Spinner ZED-N50/Hexyl Acetate,n-amyl acetate, oxylene. JJAP-51-06FC05.pdf‎, JVB001037.pdf‎ IPA acetone/1165 Trilayer stack: Process_Flow_Trilayer_Ebeam_Resist.docx‎
PMMA Positive Manual Spinner 1, III-V Spinner MIBK:IPA (1:3), IPA:H2O IPA acetone/1165/Pirahna
MMA (AR-P 617.05) Positive AllResist Approved, not tested yet. Used for trilayer (PEC-free) resist-stack or double-layer lift-off resist stack. AR_P617.pdf‎ Manual Spinner 1, III-V spinner AR600-55, MIBK:IPA acetone/1165 Trilayer stack: Process_Flow_Trilayer_Ebeam_Resist.docx‎


CSAR Positive AllResist Approved, not tested yet. Should work similar to ZEP520A. Please contcat Lithography. CSAR_62_and_process_chemicals.pdf‎ Manual Spinner 1, III-V spinner X AR 600-54/6, MIBK:IPA H2O Process_Flow_CSAR.docx‎
HSQ (XR-1541) Negative DOW Corning III-V Spinner TMAH, AZ400K:H2O H2O


ma-N 2403 Negative Micro Resist Standard negative resist III-V Spinner Ma-D333, TMAH, MIF726 H2O acteone/O2 plasma
Mr EBL 6000 Micro Resist Not tested yet III-V Spinner Mr Dev


AR-N 7520 Negative AllResist Not tested yet Manual Spinner 1, III-V Spinner

Proximity Error Correction

  • PEC in BEAMER
  • trilayer flow, not tested


Charge dissipating agent

  • Al coating, FLOW
  • ESPACER, no flow yet