Fabricating nanoscale device features using the 2-step NERIME nanolithography process

The 2-step negative resist image by dry etching (2-step NERIME) focused ion beam (FIB) top surface imaging (TSI) process is a novel nanolithography technique for creating nanometer scale resist features using conventional DNQ/novolak resists. The 2-step NERIME process combines the advantages of FIB lithography and TSI processing, delivering high aspect ratio nanometer-scale resist critical dimensions (CDs). Previous work has reported 90 nm resist CDs over substrate topography using the 2-step NERIME process, and 80 nm etched features masked using resist patterned by the 2-step NERIME process. In this work we further extend the 2-step NERIME process, and demonstrate its potential as a low-cost and convenient nanolithography option for proof-of-concept nanoscale fabrication, through the creation of sub-100 nm titanium-nitride (TiN) device features.