Efficient electron beam pattern data format for the production of binary computer generated holograms

Current pattern data formats for electron beam lithography are specifically designed to meet the needs of the VLSI industry. As a result, pattern data file size is often the limiting factor in the production of a binary computer generated hologram and not the spatial bandwidth product. This paper explores one alternate pattern data format that facilitates the full utilization of the e-beam machine's spatial bandwidth product without introducing prohibitive amounts of pattern data. The pattern data format uses two well-established data compression techniques specifically tailored to remove the redundancies present in holographic fringe patterns.