Fabrication of a Grid Resolution Standard via Proton-Beam Writing

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported me during the initial stages of this project. Specifically, I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Jeroen Anton, for his invaluable guidance, patience, and support throughout this research. I am also deeply grateful to Dr. Tan Chuan Jia and Ming Feng for providing their technical expertise and essential assistance in the laboratory. Special thanks go to my fellow research students for their constructive feedback and insights during our group meetings; these discussions have greatly contributed to the progress of this work. Finally, I would like to thank Jasshan Kumeresh and Dr. Lim Li Hong Idris for their time and valuable feedback during the drafting and writing of this report.

Abstract

Calibration of high-resolution electron microscopy systems requires physical reference standards with well-defined, near-vertical feature geometry. This project explores the use of Proton Beam Writing (PBW) to fabricate grid resolution standards. By leveraging the low lateral straggle of high-energy protons, we aim to achieve sidewall angles exceeding 89 degrees and surface roughness values in the sub-nanometer regime. Two of three measured edge profiles meet the ≥89.4° sidewall angle target, with a best result of ___°, and all measured Pd surface profiles achieve sub-0.25 nm Rq, demonstrating that PBW is a viable route to fabricating traceable resolution standards for SEM and CD-AFM calibration.