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, A/P Jeroen Anton, for hi guidance throughout this research. I am also deeply grateful to Dr. Tan Chuan Jie, Dr Zheng Min Rui and Mr. Ming Feng for providing their technical expertise, essential assistance in the laboratory and guidance. Special thanks go to my fellow research students for their constructive feedback and insights during our group meetings. Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Jasshan Kumeresh and A/P 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. Initially attempting to create a sidewall angle of ≥89.4°(target based on nickel reference standard used by CIBA); direct sidewall angle extraction from the Pd samples was not feasible at the current 100 nm feature height due to the method being calibrated for a 2 µm standard. 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.