Electron beam lithography digital pattern generator and electronics for generalized curvilinear structures

A vector scan pattern generator, optimized for smooth curvilinear as well as rectilinear primitive shapes, has been designed and constructed. The pattern generator uses high-speed hardware to implement a set of second-order, quadratic equations to drive digital to analog converters and high-speed array processors to calculate the coefficients for these equations. The digital pattern generator package contains the high-speed digital, analog, and high-resolution analog electronics. The initial lithography results confirm the operation of the system and stepping rates of 40 MHz have been achieved. (C) 1995 American Vacuum Society.