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Electron Beam Lithography at the NCFL

Wideshot of the electron beam lithography system in the NCFL

The JEOL JBX-8100FS Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) System, located in Virginia Tech's Nanoscale Characterization and Fabrication Laboratory (NCFL), is a premier tool for advanced micro- and nanofabrication.

As one of the most advanced EBL systems in the United States, it offers exceptional capabilities for researchers across diverse scientific disciplines.  With its 200kV thermal field emission electron gun, the JBX-8100FS achieves an ultrahigh resolution of 2 nm, enabling the fabrication of intricate nanostructures with unmatched precision.

Whether your project demands the finest detail resolution (sub-3 nm beam diameter) or efficient patterning of larger areas (10 nm resolution), this system adapts to your specific needs through its high-resolution and high-throughput modes.

The JBX-8100FS's laser stage measurement ensures impeccable pattern placement and overlay accuracy, facilitating the development of cutting-edge devices in fields such as quantum computing, nanophotonics, and microelectronics.

Applications include quantum devices such as quantum dots, low-dimensional quantum materials, quantum nanophotonic structures, and superconducting circuits. In optics and photonics, applications span meta-optics, nano-plasmonics, and bio-photonics. Additional areas include next-generation CMOS and power electronic devices.

Accelerating Voltages: 100kV or 200kV

Current: 400 pA – 100 nA

Scan Speed: up to 125 MHz

Field Size                              High Resolution            High Throughput

                         100kV          100 µm x 100 µm          1000 µm x 1000 µm

                          200kV           50 µm x 50 µm             500 µm x 500 µm

Stage Movement: 190 mm x 170 mm with 0.6 nm resolution

Minimum Line Width: 8 nm

Minimum Step Size: 0.5 nm

Overlay Accuracy: ±6 nm (actual, high throughput mode)

Field Stitching: ±16 nm (actual, high throughput mode)

Sample Size: up to 150 mm

  • 12 cassette automatic sample loader.
  • Temperature controlled enclosure maintains stage temperature drift <0.005 °C/hr.
  • Internal optical microscope for sample/alignment mark locating.
  • Beamer 7.1.0 pattern fracturing software with proximity effect correction (PEC)
  • Photoresist Spinning and Development
  • Optical Microscopes and SEM available for exposure evaluation.

Contact & Scheduling

Eric Carlson
Electron Beam Lithography Facility Manager