Fabricating 100-nm line patterns with high-transmittance ArF attenuated phase-shift masks

Under the “weak phase object” approximation, the component of the electron wave scattered by an object is phase shifted by π/2 with respect to the unscattered component. This phase shift has been confirmed for thin carbon films by many experiments dealing with image contrast and the contrast transfer theory. There is also an additional phase shift which is a function of the atomic number of the scattering atom. This shift is negligible for light atoms such as carbon, but becomes significant for heavy atoms as used for stains for biological specimens. The light elements are imaged as phase objects, while those atoms scattering with a larger phase shift may be imaged as amplitude objects. There is a great deal of interest in determining the complete object wave, i.e., both the phase and amplitude components of the electron wave leaving the object.

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A Many-Beam Technique for Enhanced Resolution of Partial Dislocations

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100096485 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 30 ◽

pp. 646-647

Author(s):

J. M. Oblak ◽

B. H. Kear

Keyword(s):

Phase Shift ◽

Field Method ◽

Dark Field ◽

Bright Field ◽

Field Technique ◽

Weak Beam ◽

Partial Dislocations ◽

Enhanced Resolution ◽

Nickel Base ◽

Beam Technique

The “weak-beam” and systematic many-beam techniques are the currently available methods for resolution of closely spaced dislocations or other inhomogeneities imaged through strain contrast. The former is a dark field technique and image intensities are usually very weak. The latter is a bright field technique, but generally use of a high voltage instrument is required. In what follows a bright field method for obtaining enhanced resolution of partial dislocations at 100 KV accelerating potential will be described.A brief discussion of an application will first be given. A study of intermediate temperature creep processes in commercial nickel-base alloys strengthened by the Ll2 Ni3 Al γ precipitate has suggested that partial dislocations such as those labelled 1 and 2 in Fig. 1(a) are in reality composed of two closely spaced a/6 <112> Shockley partials. Stacking fault contrast, when present, tends to obscure resolution of the partials; thus, conditions for resolution must be chosen such that the phase shift at the fault is 0 or a multiple of 2π.

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The usefulness of high index low symmetry zone axes for holz line analysis

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100126718 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 45 ◽

pp. 384-385

Author(s):

C. M. Sung ◽

D. B. Williams

Keyword(s):

Lattice Parameter ◽

High Order ◽

Zone Axis ◽

High Index ◽

High Symmetry ◽

Second Phases ◽

Line Patterns ◽

Low Symmetry ◽

Line Analysis

Researchers have tended to use high symmetry zone axes (e.g. <111> <114>) for High Order Laue Zone (HOLZ) line analysis since Jones et al reported the origin of HOLZ lines and described some of their applications. But it is not always easy to find HOLZ lines from a specific high symmetry zone axis during microscope operation, especially from second phases on a scale of tens of nanometers. Therefore it would be very convenient if we can use HOLZ lines from low symmetry zone axes and simulate these patterns in order to measure lattice parameter changes through HOLZ line shifts. HOLZ patterns of high index low symmetry zone axes are shown in Fig. 1, which were obtained from pure Al at -186°C using a double tilt cooling holder. Their corresponding simulated HOLZ line patterns are shown along with ten other low symmetry orientations in Fig. 2. The simulations were based upon kinematical diffraction conditions.

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Observation of surface morphology by reflection electron holography

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100154652 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 47 ◽

pp. 536-537

Author(s):

N. Osakabe ◽

J. Endo ◽

T. Matsuda ◽

A. Tonomura

Keyword(s):

Phase Shift ◽

Surface Morphology ◽

High Sensitivity ◽

High Energy ◽

Path Difference ◽

Transmission Mode ◽

Electron Holography ◽

Dynamical Process ◽

High Vertical Resolution ◽

Amplification Technique

Progress in microscopy such as STM and TEM-TED has revealed surface structures in atomic dimension. REM has been used for the observation of surface dynamical process and surface morphology. Recently developed reflection electron holography, which employes REM optics to measure the phase shift of reflected electron, has been proved to be effective for the observation of surface morphology in high vertical resolution ≃ 0.01 Å.The key to the high sensitivity of the method is best shown by comparing the phase shift generation by surface topography with that in transmission mode. Difference in refractive index between vacuum and material Vo/2E≃10-4 owes the phase shift in transmission mode as shownn Fig. 1( a). While geometrical path difference is created in reflection mode( Fig. 1(b) ), which is measured interferometrically using high energy electron beam of wavelength ≃0.01 Å. Together with the phase amplification technique , the vertivcal resolution is expected to be ≤0.01 Å in an ideal case.

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Imaging nanostructures on ablated kapton polymide

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100150198 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 51 ◽

pp. 872-873

Author(s):

Daniel L. Callahan ◽

H. M. Phillips ◽

R. Sauerbrey

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Polymer Surface ◽

Grating Period ◽

Laser Wavelength ◽

Integrated Devices ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Excimer Laser Irradiation ◽

Produce Line ◽

Line Patterns ◽

Anisotropic Conduction

Excimer laser irradiation has been used to interferometrically ablate submicron line patterns on to Kapton polyimide. Such patterned material may exhibit highly anisotropic conduction as was predicted from previous studies showing enhanced conductivity from uniformly ablated material. We are currently exploiting this phenomenon to create integrated devices using conventional polymers as both dielectrics and conductors. Extensive scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and limited transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been conducted in order to characterize the morphology of such patterned nanostructures as a function of processing conditions.The ablation technique employed produces an interference pattern on the polymer surface of period equal to half that of a diffraction grating period, independent of the laser wavelength. In these experiments, a 328 nm grating has been used to produce line patterns of 164 nm line-spacings as shown in Figures 1 and 2. A 200 Å Au coating has been used to both prevent charging and, perhaps more importantly, enhance contrast.

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