Industrial perspective on focused electron beam-induced processes

After a short overview of the historical developments of the technique of gas-assisted focused electron beam-induced processing (mostly deposition and etching), this paper deals with the applications of this technology to photolithographic mask repair. A commented list of results is shown on different mask types, for different types of defects, and at different node generations. The scope of this article is double: summarize the state of the art in a fast-paced highly specific industrial environment driven by ''Moore's law'' and feedback to academic researchers some technologically relevant directions for further investigations. (orig.)