Vistec Lithography
Inc., a global supplier of electron-beam lithography systems, announced
that they have received a major order from Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin in Berlin-Adlershof
for one of its Vistec EBPG5000plus electron-beam lithography systems. The Helmholtz-Zentrum
Berlin and Vistec Lithography Inc. will work together on further enhance the
Gaussian Beam system to fulfil the challenging requirements for generating advanced
diffractive optics required for the X-ray imaging activities at BESSY II, the
only German 3rd generation synchrotron radiation facility.
BESSY II is now operated by the new Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien
und Energie GmbH (HZB), which has been formed by the merger of the Hahn-Meitner-Institut
Berlin (HMI) and BESSY. Beside other synchrotron applications Helmholtz-Zentrum
Berlin pursues on high-resolution X-ray microscopy.
Fresnel zone plates are the key elements for high resolution X-ray microscopy.
The achievable resolution of an X-ray microscope depends strongly on the optical
performance of the Fresnel lenses. This is where the new electron-beam lithography
system comes into play. The Vistec EBPG5000plusES is used for patterning Fresnel
zone plates with a minimum zone width below 20 nm, in combination with superb
placement and overlay figures. It’s worth saying that the system can also
be used for more standard e-beam lithography applications.
“The EBPG5000plusES combines both excellent resolution and the highest
accuracy, which allows us to pattern the most enhanced Fresnel optics for soft
and hard X-rays. With the new e-beam lithography system, we expect to develop
stacked zone plates with unique performance in spatial resolution and efficiency
for the soft and hard X-ray photon energy range”, said Dr. Gerd Schneider,
Head of the X-ray microscopy activities at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin.
The order from HZB is in line with other Vistec electron-beam lithography systems
currently installed at leading edge research institutes worldwide. Based on
reliable and well-proven system architecture, the Vistec EBPG5000plusES system
provides a spot size down to <2.2nm at 100keV beam energy, thus allowing
nano-lithography structures smaller than 8nm to be routinely generated. As a
result of its high flexibility and easy–to-use software, the EBPG5000plusES
has become the “system of choice” in the research community.
“We are very pleased to have received this order from the Helmholtz-Zentrum
Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH. We are looking forward to contributing
to the success of our customers’ challenging projects with our electron-beam
technology”, says Rainer Schmid, General Manager at Vistec Lithography
Inc.