Abstract: A beam arrangement portion is provided to arrange multiple primary electron beams on a substrate. The beam arrangement portion arranges the multiple primary electron beams in a square lattice along a first moving direction of a stage allowing the substrate to be placed thereon and a second moving direction perpendicular to the first moving direction in a state where, when the multiple primary electron beams are viewed as a whole, beams around four corners of the square lattice are omitted.

Abstract: A pattern inspection apparatus includes a secondary electron image acquisition mechanism to include a deflector deflecting multiple primary electron beams and a detector detecting multiple secondary electron beams, and acquire a secondary electron image corresponding to each of the multiple primary electron beams by scanning a target object with a pattern thereon with the multiple primary electron beams by the deflector, and detecting the multiple secondary electron beams from the target object by the detector, a storage device to store individual correction kernels each generated for individually adjusting a secondary electron image corresponding to each primary electron beam concerning a reference pattern to be commensurate with a reference blurred image, and a correction circuit to correct, by correspondingly using the individual correction kernel, the secondary electron image corresponding to each primary electron beam acquired from the inspection target object.

Abstract: A multiple electron beam image acquisition method includes performing scanning with a representative secondary electron beam emitted, based on temporary secondary electron beam deflection conditions, for each of plural positions in a primary electron beam deflection range of a representative primary electron beam, acquiring plural coordinates corresponding to the plural positions, based on detected images of the representative secondary electron beam, each detected at any one of the plural positions in the primary electron beam deflection range of the representative primary electron beam, and calculating, using the plural coordinates acquired, secondary electron beam deflection conditions to cancel movement of the representative secondary electron beam due to movement of the representative primary electron beam in the primary electron beam deflection range of the representative primary electron beam and to fix the irradiation position of the representative secondary electron beam to the predetermined detectio

Abstract: A beam arrangement portion is provided to arrange multiple primary electron beams on a substrate. The beam arrangement portion arranges the multiple primary electron beams in a square lattice along a first moving direction of a stage allowing the substrate to be placed thereon and a second moving direction perpendicular to the first moving direction in a state where, when the multiple primary electron beams are viewed as a whole, beams around four corners of the square lattice are omitted.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, a pattern inspection apparatus includes: a first sub-pixel interpolation processing circuitry configured to calculate a pixel value of a reference image corresponding to a position of each pixel of the inspection target image by performing an interpolation process using at least one pixel value of the reference image for each shift amount while variably and relatively shifting the inspection target image and the reference image by the unit of a sub-pixel using the reference image corresponding to the inspection target image; and an SSD calculation processing circuitry configured to calculate a sum of squared difference between each pixel value of the inspection target image and a corresponding pixel value of the reference image subjected to a filter process for the each shift amount.

Abstract: A charged particle beam inspection method conducted by disposing a sample on a stage and by performing a first scanning in a first beam scanning area on the sample by using one first charged particle beam out of a plurality of charged particle beams while the stage is moved so that a first inspection of a first inspection unit in the first beam scanning area is performed, and by performing a second scanning in a second beam scanning area on the sample by using one second charged particle beam out of the charged particle beams while the stage is moved so that a second inspection of a second inspection unit in the second beam scanning area is performed.

Abstract: A charged particle beam inspection method conducted by disposing a sample on a stage and by performing a first scanning in a first beam scanning area on the sample by using one first charged particle beam out of a plurality of charged particle beams while the stage is moved so that a first inspection of a first inspection unit in the first beam scanning area is performed, and by performing a second scanning in a second beam scanning area on the sample by using one second charged particle beam out of the charged particle beams while the stage is moved so that a second inspection of a second inspection unit in the second beam scanning area is performed.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, a pattern inspection apparatus includes: a first sub-pixel interpolation processing circuitry configured to calculate a pixel value of a reference image corresponding to a position of each pixel of the inspection target image by performing an interpolation process using at least one pixel value of the reference image for each shift amount while variably and relatively shifting the inspection target image and the reference image by the unit of a sub-pixel using the reference image corresponding to the inspection target image; and an SSD calculation processing circuitry configured to calculate a sum of squared difference between each pixel value of the inspection target image and a corresponding pixel value of the reference image subjected to a filter process for the each shift amount.

Abstract: A charged particle beam inspection apparatus includes a first deflector to deflect N×N? multiple beams collectively to N×N? small regions having a size p/M in the first direction and arrayed at the pitch p in the first direction, perform tracking deflection, and re-deflect the multiple beams collectively to next N×N? small regions away from the N×N? small regions by N small regions in the first direction, by the stage completes a movement of a distance of N/M×p so as to reset the tracking deflection; and a second deflector to deflect the multiple beams collectively to scan the N×N? small regions concerned while the tracking deflection is performed.

Abstract: A charged particle beam inspection apparatus includes a first deflector to deflect N×N? multiple beams collectively to N×N? small regions having a size p/M in the first direction and arrayed at the pitch p in the first direction, perform tracking deflection, and re-deflect the multiple beams collectively to next N×N? small regions away from the N×N? small regions by N small regions in the first direction, by the stage completes a movement of a distance of N/M×p so as to reset the tracking deflection; and a second deflector to deflect the multiple beams collectively to scan the N×N? small regions concerned while the tracking deflection is performed.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an optical recording head device includes a light source which outputs such a relaxation oscillation optical pulse that a full width at half maximum of a single pulse is 820 ps or less, a driving unit for driving the light source, an objective lens which converges emission light from the light source on a recording layer of a recording medium, and captures reflective light which is reflected by the recording layer of the recording medium, a distribution unit, placed between the light source and the objective lens, for distributing incident light, and a photodetection unit for receiving via the distribution unit the reflective light which is reflected by the recording layer of the recording medium, wherein a resonator length of the light source is 6560 ?m or less.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a first encoder encodes main information, a second encoder encodes sub-information, a first modulator modulates a carrier based on an output of the first encoder, a duplicating module duplicates an output of the second encoder to generate encoded sub-information units, and a second modulator amplitude-modulates an output of the first modulator based on the encoded sub-information units. The second modulator amplitude-modulates with ?/(?×(2N)1/2) being 0.4 or less, wherein a noise power of a transmission path or a storage medium is ?2, a number of the encoded sub-information units is N, signal levels after amplitude modulation, which correspond to bit 1 and bit 0 of the encoded sub-information units, are A and B, and a level difference A?B is ?.

Abstract: The length of a format modulation area in an address segment is limited to be 25% of the address-segment length or less, and the position of the format modulation area is selectable two possible positions. Subsequently, where a CLV optical-disk medium is used, wobble modulation areas in adjacent recording tracks do not overlap each other in the radius direction.

Abstract: In order to select the latest defect management information, the latest selection information first is selected by searching a plurality of selection information areas for a currently active selection information area in which the latest selection information is recorded and subsequently the latest defect management information is obtained by searching a plurality of defect management areas for a currently active defect management area in which the latest defect management information is recorded. If there is no unused defect management area in which defect management information can be alternatively recorded in lieu of the currently active defect management area, recording operation is limited.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a first encoder encodes main information, a second encoder encodes sub-information, a first modulator modulates a carrier based on an output of the first encoder, a duplicating module duplicates an output of the second encoder to generate encoded sub-information units, and a second modulator amplitude-modulates an output of the first modulator based on the encoded sub-information units. The second modulator amplitude-modulates with ?/(?×(2N)1/2) being 0.4 or less, wherein a noise power of a transmission path or a storage medium is ?2, a number of the encoded sub-information units is N, signal levels after amplitude modulation, which correspond to bit 1 and bit 0 of the encoded sub-information units, are A and B, and a level difference A?B is ?.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, the invention provides a master recording apparatus and method which can form a pit having a symmetrical pit shape with excellent reproducibility. An embodiment of the invention is a master recording apparatus where a resist film on a master for an optical disk is irradiated with irradiation light from a semiconductor laser to record information on the resist film, where the resist film is formed as an inorganic resist film, and means for outputting the irradiation light from the semiconductor laser as a short pulse laser with a pulse width between 200 ps and 1 ns is provided.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, in one embodiment of the invention, a laser drive circuit is provided with a first current source, a second drive current source, and a third current source. The control section selectively obtains a plurality of laser light use mode of controlling the from first to third current sources to use pulse laser light accompanying relaxation oscillation, and a complex laser light use mode of using laser light where laser pulses are combined, whose starting end has an abrupt impulse change portion caused by relaxation oscillation and whose intermediate section is a flat portion with a fixed intensity.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, in an information recording medium for which a phase change material is used and in which information is recorded on, reproduced from, and erased from a recording layer by light irradiation, a recrystallization width WR at a periphery of an amorphous recording mark formed on the recording layer by light irradiation, and a recording mark width WA and a track pitch TP satisfy 1.0<WR/WA<1.1 and 2/3<WA/TP<4/3.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a drive control apparatus of a semiconductor laser includes a driving circuit which drives the semiconductor laser by applying pulses transiting from bias current to peak current to the semiconductor laser as laser driving current that causes relaxation oscillation of emission light intensity of the semiconductor laser, and a control circuit which controls the bias current such that the bias current has a predetermined ratio limiting fluctuation of a leading peak value of the relaxation oscillation occurring for each application of pulses relative to threshold current of the semiconductor laser. The control circuit changes the bias current to maintain the predetermined ratio relative to fluctuation of the threshold current.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an optical disc device includes a light source portion which applies laser light to an optical disc, a drive portion which supplies a drive current to the light source portion so as to cause the light source portion to apply laser light of light pulses having relaxation oscillation, and a controller which controls the drive portion to supply a drive current so as to cause the light source portion to emit laser light of (n?1)×N (N is an integral number) light pulses having relaxation oscillation with respect to a mark with recording mark length nT (n: integral number, T: channel clock) to be recorded on the optical disc.