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Research Tools

ELS-F150 with Autoloader_Slant

ELS-F150

High acceleration voltage ebl system

The ELS-F150 is the world’s first 150 kV electron beam lithography system. Expanding on the 100kV and 125kV systems, the ELS – F150 enables single digit nanoscale device fabrication. 

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ELS-BODEN Series Tools

High performance Capabilities for High Resolution and High Throughput Applications

The ELS-BODEN Series Systems are dedicated to those customers seeking to fabricate devices where ultra-fine patterns are most important.  The ELS-BODEN Series EBL tools offer up to a 300mm square writing area and can hold samples from small pieces up to 300mm wafers, as well as 9 inch masks.  A complete line of autoloaders are available.

ELS-BODEN acceleration voltages are: 50kV, 100kV, 125kV, 150kV 

ELS-BODEN SERIES BROCHURE

ELS-G100

HIGH PERFORMANCE 100 KV LITHOGRAPHY SYSTEM

The ELS-G100 produces a highly stable beam with a diameter as small 1.8nm, using acceleration voltages of up to 100kV and high beam currents. This allows fine patterns to be drawn with a line width of 6nm or less.

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ELS-G100

ELS-ORCA

A Revolutionary Leap in 30kV EBL Systems

The ELS-ORCA offers cutting-edge performance on a customized platform for R&D applications.  Various options can include automatic focusing, dynamic focus correction, and the flexibility to increase acceleration voltage up to 50kV.  In addition, a high resolution SEM imaging option, with beam retarding capability, offers excellent sample observation at a low acceleration voltage.  This allows the end-user to precisely calibrate the lithographic process against the CAD layout.

ELS-ORCA
ELS-ORCA Electron Beam Lithography System Image

Global Reach

STS-Elinox is a partnership dedicated to delivering state-of-the-art nanotechnology products throughout North America and Europe.

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Elionix Lithography Management System

The elms software is a comprehensive electron beam lithography management user interface residing on a Win11 platform.  From full production job scheduling, to SEM UI, to system diagnostics, this software platform is very intuitive to use.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

100kV electron-beam lithography (EBL) systems are the standard in research because they perfectly balance ultimate sub-10 nm resolution with practical operational viability. They significantly reduce forward and backward electron scattering compared to lower voltages while avoiding the costs and hardware complexity of >100 kV systems. 
 
Key Advantages for Research Applications
    • Minimized Proximity Effect: High-energy electrons travel straighter paths through the resist. This minimizes beam broadening, allowing for extremely dense, high-resolution patterns without overlapping exposures.
    • Deep Substrate Penetration: Electrons pass completely through the resist into the bulk substrate. This ensures that any scattering occurs deep within the underlying material rather than in the sensitive resist layer.
    • Superior Aspect Ratios: The straighter electron trajectories facilitate the fabrication of tall, high-aspect-ratio nanostructures. This is essential for building 3D devices and deep etching masks.
    • Small Spot Size: 100 kV sources produce an incredibly fine beam diameter (often <2nm). This tight focus is maintained even at higher beam currents.
    • Balanced Throughput: A highly focused beam allows operators to use higher beam currents. This reduces total exposure times without sacrificing dimensional precision.

 
The 100kV Sweet Spot

Acceleration Voltage ResolutionScattering EffectsSystem Cost & Maintenance
<50 kVGoodHigh lateral scattering limits dense, high-aspect structuresCost is low 
100 kVExcellentDeep penetration, minimal proximity effectStandard for dedicated EBL systems
>150 kVUltimateUnparalleled sharpness in thick resistsMost expensive

 
150kV Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) tools are ultra-high-voltage systems designed to write features at the single-digit nanometer scale. They are particularly critical for thick-resist applications because the high acceleration voltage enables a narrower beam profile and drastically reduces electron scattering inside the resist. 
 
Why 150kV Excels with Thick Resists:
 
In traditional lower-voltage EBL (e.g., 30kV–50kV), thick resists create drop-shaped, poorly defined profiles due to forward and backward electron scattering.
    • Vertical Sidewalls: 150kV electrons carry higher kinetic energy, allowing them to punch cleanly through thick polymer films with minimal scattering.
    • High Aspect Ratios: The system can achieve extremely deep, narrow trenches (high-aspect-ratio nano-grooves) because the energy dissipation is focused strictly along the beam path.
    • Reduced Proximity Effect: Less electron scattering means neighboring features are less likely to blur together, allowing for dense, complex nanoscale patterning.

 
Key Applications:
 
1. Molds for Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL)
150kV EBL is widely used to create master molds in thick, high-contrast resists for nanoimprint templates. Because NIL relies on physically stamping patterns onto large areas, the resist must have a high aspect ratio and a perfectly vertical cross-section to allow for easy mold release. []
2. High-Aspect-Ratio 3D Microstructures
Thick resists patterned at 150kV are used to fabricate tall mechanical or optical elements, such as those found in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), photonic crystals, micro-optics, and microfluidic channels.
3. Advanced Microelectronics & T-Gates
High-frequency devices (such as high-electron-mobility transistors) often require multi-layer processes with a T-gate structure. Thick resist stacks are used to define the cap, while the base maintains nanometer-level resolution.
A dedicated 30kV Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) system offers vastly superior pattern placement accuracy, writing speed, and multi-layer alignment compared to a modified SEM. While both operate at the same accelerating voltage, dedicated EBL tools use high-bandwidth electronics and specialized hardware to minimize errors during exposure.
 
1. Stage Precision and Field Stitching
    • Dedicated EBL: Equipped with a laser interferometer stage. This continuously tracks the substrate’s exact X and Y coordinates with sub-nanometer precision, allowing it to build large, flawless patterns across a wafer by perfectly “stitching” together microscopic writing fields.
    • Modified SEM: Standard SEM stages have an accuracy of about 5 μ m and lack continuous interferometric control. Stitching together adjacent fields over large areas often results in visible misalignment and stitching errors.

2. Deflector Bandwidth and Beam Settling
    • Dedicated EBL: Uses high-bandwidth electromagnetic or electrostatic deflectors and advanced beam blankers. When the beam moves from one pixel to another, the high-speed electronics allow it to settle almost instantly, maintaining a highly quantitative dose without compromising pattern placement.
    • Modified SEM: Employs low-bandwidth deflectors. It takes longer for the beam to settle after deflection, forcing the system to write more slowly, or increasing the uncertainty of where the electrons will land. This frequently causes pattern overlaps or accidental gaps.

3. Automation and Software Workflows
    • Dedicated EBL: Built for complex nanofabrication workflows from the ground up. They integrate seamlessly with software packages like Beamer or specialized lithography suites, which handle CAD data conversion, proximity effect correction (PEC), and automated multi-layer alignment markers.
    • Modified SEM: Requires retrofitted third-party pattern generators (e.g., Elphy Quantum). Calibrations are more manual, and the user frequently must specify the order of drawn shapes to circumvent the hardware limitations of a tool originally designed for imaging, not writing.

4. Throughput
  • Dedicated EBL: Features specialized high-speed pattern generators (e.g., 20 MHz to 100 MHz systems) and rapid substrate exchange load-locks. They use vector-scan (exposing only the pattern areas) to maximize speed compared to standard rastering.
  • Modified SEM: Slower pattern generator speeds and more manual sample loading result in longer exposure times for complex, large-scale nanoscale patterns.
Integrating a high-resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM) into a dedicated electron-beam lithography (EBL) system enables sub-10 nm structural inspection without breaking vacuum. It provides nanometer-level overlay alignment, streamlines rapid prototyping, and allows in-situ process validation between critical lithography steps.
 
Specific benefits include:
  • In-Situ Metrology & Quality Control: Users can instantly view exposed resists and developed nanostructures at ultra-high magnifications. This avoids venting the vacuum chamber to use a standalone microscope, saving time and preventing environmental contamination. 
  • Sub-10 nm Alignment and Overlay: A dedicated EBL writer alone sometimes experiences minor uncertainties in beam positioning and field placement. High-resolution SEM imaging allows for the precise localization of existing alignment marks and nanostructures, ensuring highly accurate multi-layer registration.
  • Non-Destructive Inspection: The SEM’s electron beam allows users to observe prototype designs non-destructively. This rapid feedback loop of pattern, view, and adjust is highly valuable for evaluating pattern fidelity before scaling up to larger batches.
The Elionix Lithography Management System (elms) software optimizes research workflows by combining CAD conversion, beam calibration, and exposure tracking into a single, intuitive platform. Its Windows-native environment and Python API support multi-user facilities by providing remote automation, structured permissions, and seamless data portability. 
 
Ease of Use for Research Facilities
    • Intuitive, Workflow-Driven Modules: The software wraps critical sequences (such as vacuum monitoring, calibration, and metrology) into a unified interface making it easier for new users to be trained on highly complex Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) systems.
    • Built-in Account Management: The ACCO Account Management module tracks usage and restricts functional accessibility based on individual user credentials, protecting hardware and maintaining accountability in shared facilities.
    • Automated & CAD-Integrated Imaging: The system natively converts industry-standard CAD files (GDSII/DXF) into exposure-ready formats using the CONV module. Users can automate SEM observations directly from the CAD data used for exposure, ensuring fast and exact process calibration.

Cross-Platform & Automation Value
  • Python & iPython Notebook Support: Researchers are not locked into the native GUI. The elms platform features a Python API that allows operators to script and control system operations (e.g., beam sequences or job scheduling) using iPython Notebooks.
  • Off-Platform Pre-processing: By seamlessly processing universal CAD formats, researchers can design, layout, and perform proximity corrections on their personal computers or lab networks using supported external software (like GeniSys BEAMER) before bringing the file to the Elionix machine.

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