Patent ID: 6153340
Filing Date: 2000-11-28
Classification: B82Y,G03F,H01J,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for projection-transferring a pattern, defined by a reticle, onto a substrate by charged-particle-beam microlithography, the method comprising:(a) defining a pattern, to be transferred onto a sensitive substrate, by a reticle, the pattern comprising multiple features and the reticle comprising multiple exposure units;(b) illuminating a portion of the reticle with an illumination beam of charged particles to produce a patterned beam of charged particles passing through the illuminated portion of the reticle; and(c) projecting the patterned beam through a projection-optical system onto the sensitive substrate to form an image on the substrate of the illuminated portion of the reticle;(d) wherein the reticle is configured such that, if an exposed feature of the pattern is larger than an predetermined threshold size, the feature comprises a non-exposed region having a dimension that is larger than a resolution limit of the projection-optical system but smaller than a resolution limit for the projection-optical system imposed by a proximity effect.