Electron-beam direct writing using RD2000N for fabrication of nanodevices

A simple but potent method for electron-beam (EB) direct writing is introduced. This method is based on the use of negative electron-beam resist RD2000N. The resist offers high sensitivity to EB exposure and high resistance to halide plasma etching conditions, which is ideal for application in Si/SiO2 based nanodevice fabrication. Dot exposure shows that dots of a minimum diameter of 16 nm could be patterned using this resist. Linear arrays of dots, connected to each other by very narrow constrictions, are patterned using this resist. When transferred to a thin silicon-on-insulator layer, by reactive ion etching, this structure forms a multiple tunnel junction. Memory devices based on this multiple tunnel junction are fabricated. Memory operation is observed at 20 K. (C) 2000 American Vacuum Society. [S0734-211X(00)15606-9].