Simulation of electron-scattering properties of diamond membranes in X-ray mask fabrication

A theoretical investigation of electron-scattering properties of diamond substrates is presented. A complete simulation combining Monte Carlo calculation of energy deposition and a resist development model is carried out for evaluating the suitability of diamond as a membrane for high-resolution X-ray masks, with respect to silicon. Simulation results concerning the single-layer resist process for X-ray mask fabrication demonstrate that, in the limits of low and high e-beam energy, there is no significant difference in using silicon or diamond. In contrast, at intermediate energy, the choice of the membrane may be critical in the prospect of attaining high resolutions.