Proximity effect in electron beam lithography

Proximity effect is the most severe factor that influences the exposure resolution of electron beam. In this paper, the mechanism of proximity effect is discussed through Monte Carlo simulation of the electron scattering processes. And effective approaches of proximity effect correction are proposed. The theoretical results of Monte Carlo simulation and experimental results show that proximity effect is determined by many factors, in addition to the shape, size and packing density of patterns, proximity effect is also dependent on processes conditions. Only on the basis of optimizing the processes conditions and mask design, the expectant purpose of proximity effect correction by software can be achieved. Proximity effect is effectively reduced through improving mask design, optimizing processes conditions and utilizing proximity effect correction software.