Physics-Based Simulation of Master Template Fabrication: Integrated Modeling of Resist Coating, Electron Beam Lithography, and Reactive Ion Etching

Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) master fidelity is governed by coupled variations beginning with resist spin-coating, proceeding through electron beam exposure, and culminating in anisotropic etch transfer. We present an integrated, physics-based simulation chain. First, it includes a spin-coating thickness model that combines Emslie–Meyerhofer scaling with a Bornside edge correction. The simulated wafer-scale map at 4000 rpm exhibits the canonical center-rise and edge-bead profile with a 0.190–0.206 μm thickness range, while the locally selected 600 nm × 600 nm tile shows <0.1 nm variation, confirming an effectively uniform region for downstream analysis. Second, it couples an e-beam lithography (EBL) module in which column electrostatics and trajectory-derived spot size feed a hybrid Gaussian–Lorentzian proximity kernel; under typical operating conditions (σtraj ≈ 2–5 nm), the model yields low CD bias (ΔCD = 2.38/2.73 nm), controlled LER (2.18/4.90 nm), and stable NMSE (1.02/1.05) for isolated versus dense patterns. Finally, the exposure result is passed to a level set reactive ion etching (RIE) model with angular anisotropy and aspect ratio-dependent etching (ARDE), which reproduces density-dependent CD shrinkage trends (4.42% versus 7.03%) consistent with transport-limited profiles in narrow features. Collectively, the simulation chain accounts for stage-to-stage propagation—from spin-coating thickness variation and EBL proximity to ARDE-driven etch behavior—while reporting OPC-aligned metrics such as NMSE, ΔCD, and LER. In practice, mask process correction (MPC) is necessary rather than optional: the simulator provides the predictive model, metrology supplies updates, and constrained optimization sets dose, focus, and etch set-points under CD/LER requirements.