Mebes Format

MEBES Format is a proprietary mask data format developed by ETEC (now part of Applied Materials) for electron-beam lithography systems used in photomask manufacturing.

## What Is MEBES?

  • Full Name: Manufacturing Electron Beam Exposure System
  • Purpose: Define patterns for e-beam direct-write on photomasks
  • Structure: Hierarchical format with trapezoids as primitives
  • Usage: Industry standard for mask shops since 1980s

## Why MEBES Format Matters

MEBES remains the dominant format for fracturing GDSII designs into e-beam writable primitives, though newer formats like OASIS are emerging.

MEBES Data Flow:GDSII Design → Fracture Software → MEBES File → E-beam Writer → MaskMEBES Primitives:┌─────────────────┐│ Trapezoid │ ← Basic shape unit│ / \ ││ / \ │└─────────────────┘Each pattern decomposes into variable-size trapezoids

Format Characteristics:
- Binary format with chip header and pattern data
- Supports 1nm address resolution
- Stripes for parallel writing optimization
- Context-aware fracturing for write-speed optimization

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