Electron beam lithography on organosilane self-assembled monolayer resist

We report a result of a feasibility study on the application of an octadecyltrimethoxysilane self-assembled monolayer to a resist film for electron beam lithography. The self-assembled monolayer deposited on a silicon dioxide surface by chemical vapor deposition is resistant to both sulfuric acid and hydrofluoric acid. By immersing the electron-beam-irradiated surface into both acids, we successfully develop microstructural patterns in the self-assembled monolayer. In particular, we show the effectiveness of immersing the substrate into a sulfuric-acid-based solution for the development of the pattern. The relationship between the required dose and the developing time is estimated by measuring the morphology of the developed patterns by atomic force microscopy. The pattern in the self-assembled monolayer can be transferred into both the underlying silicon dioxide layer and the silicon substrate. These results indicate that the organosilane self-assembled monolayer serves as an alternative resist for electron beam lithography.