Abstract: The invention relates to a charged particle beam exposure apparatus configured to expose cut patterns or via patterns on a substrate having a plurality of line patterns 81a arranged on an upper surface of the substrate at a constant pitch by irradiating the substrate with a plurality of charged particle beams B1 to Bn while moving a one-dimensional array beam A1 in an X direction parallel to the line patterns 81a, the one-dimensional array beam A1 being a beam in which the charged particle beams B1 to Bn are arranged in an Y direction orthogonal to the line patterns 81a.

Abstract: The invention provides an exposure apparatus (100) including a formation module (122) which forms charged particle beams with different irradiation positions on a specimen.

Abstract: There is provided a charged particle beam exposure apparatus which turns an array beam including a plurality of charged particle beams, being arranged side by side in a line in a direction intersecting line patterns, on and off at predetermined blanking timing, and thus performs irradiation when irradiated positions of the charged particle beams arrive at pattern positions. The charged particle beam exposure apparatus improves data processing control by segmenting a sample provided with line patterns into a plurality of exposure ranges each at a predetermined length in a direction of movement, and performing on-off control of the beams based on a point of time when the array beam passes on a reference position set in the exposure region.

Abstract: Provided is a charged particle beam exposure apparatus configured as follows. An electron beam emitted from an electron gun is deformed by an asymmetric illumination optical system to have an elongated section. The electron beam is then applied to a beam shaping aperture plate provided with a plurality of apertures arranged in a line, thereby generating a plurality of electron beams. Exposure of a predetermined pattern is performed on a semiconductor substrate by moving a stage device in a direction orthogonal to line patterns on the semiconductor substrate and turning the plurality of electron beams on or off in synchronization with the movement of the stage device by use of a blanker plate and a final aperture plate.

Abstract: An electron beam exposure method includes the steps of: preparing an exposure mask having a plurality of opening patterns formed by dividing a drawing object pattern into exposable regions; and drawing the drawing object pattern by performing exposure with an electron beam passing through the opening patterns of the exposure mask. Each end portion serving as a joint in each opening pattern of the exposure mask is provided with a joining portion tapered in a width of the opening pattern. The exposure is performed in such a way that portions drawn through adjacent joining portions overlap each other.

Abstract: An electron beam exposure method includes the steps of: preparing an exposure mask having a plurality of opening patterns formed by dividing a drawing object pattern into exposable regions; and drawing the drawing object pattern by performing exposure with an electron beam passing through the opening patterns of the exposure mask. Each end portion serving as a joint in each opening pattern of the exposure mask is provided with a joining portion tapered in a width of the opening pattern. The exposure is performed in such a way that portions drawn through adjacent joining portions overlap each other.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using an electron beam lithography apparatus configured to emit an electron beam to perform lithography of a pattern, processing including pattern formation with the electron beam lithography apparatus is performed on a wafer, and an electric characteristic of the thus manufactured semiconductor devices is measured by a semiconductor testing apparatus. Then, electron beam lithography data to be used by the electron beam lithography apparatus is adjusted based on a result of measurement of the electric characteristic so as to reduce a variation in the electric characteristic of the semiconductor device within a surface of the wafer.

Abstract: There is provided an electromagnetic lens which includes an electromagnetic coil wound to be rotationally symmetrical about an optical axis of an electron beam, and a pole piece covering the electromagnetic coil, in which: a gap is integrally formed in either one of an inner wall formed at an inner circumference side of the pole piece and a lower end wall formed in an end portion at an emission side of the electron beam, or a boundary portion between the two walls; the inner wall is formed to be thinnest at a portion close to the gap and to gradually become thicker as a distance from the gap increases; and the electromagnetic lens is formed such that a width in a radial direction thereof is more increased as being closer to the gap along with the change of the thickness of the inner wall.

Abstract: A sample holder to be disposed between an electrostatic chuck and a sample smaller than the upper surface of the electrostatic chuck is provided, the sample holder including: a base plate formed in the same size as the upper surface of the electrostatic chuck; a sample placement portion located on the upper surface of the base plate, and designed to place the sample thereon; and a circumferential portion being a portion of the upper surface of the base plate other than the sample placement portion, and having a conductive material exposed to the outside.

Abstract: A pattern inspection apparatus configured to perform pattern inspection based on a SEM image previously measures distortion amount data representing a magnitude distribution of positional displacement caused by distortion of the SEM image in a scanning direction. When the pattern inspection is performed, the apparatus makes design data and the SEM image correspond to each other by adjusting at least one of the design data and the SEM image on the basis of the distortion amount data, and places a measurement region on the SEM image on the basis of a correspondence between the design data and the SEM image. The apparatus may further find a matching rate between a pattern of the design data and a pattern of the SEM image.

Abstract: There is provided an electron beam detector including an electron beam scatterer which is disposed at a predetermined distance below a shield including a plurality of openings formed therein, and a beam detection element disposed at a predetermined distance below the scatterer and configured to convert an electron beam into an electric signal. In the electron beam detector, the scatterer is disposed at an equal distance from any of the openings in the shield, and the beam detection element is disposed at an equal distance from any of the openings in the shield. Thus, the electron beam detector can suppress a variation in detection sensitivity depending on the position of the opening.

Abstract: A defect review apparatus includes: an electron scanning part which irradiates and scans an electron beam over an observation region on a surface of a sample; four electron detectors arranged around the optical axis of the electron beam with 90° intervals; and a signal processing unit which generates multiple pieces of image data of the observation region on the basis of detection signals from the electron detectors, the multiple pieces of image data respectively taken in different directions. When a pattern in the observation region is a line-and-space pattern, the defect inspection unit performs defect detection on the basis of a subtract between two pieces of the image data respectively taken in two predetermined directions with the optical axis of the electron beam in between.

Abstract: The pattern inspection apparatus includes: an irradiator irradiating a sample with an electron beam; an electron detector detecting an amount of electrons generated on the sample having a pattern formed thereon, by the irradiation of the electron beam; an image processor generating a SEM image of the pattern on the basis of the electron amount; and a controller acquiring defect position information on the pattern formed on the sample from an optical defect inspection device. The controller specifies a defect candidate pattern from the SEM image on the basis of the defect position information and judges whether a defect in the defect candidate pattern is to be transferred onto a wafer. The controller determines a view field of the SEM image on the basis of the defect position information and specifies the defect candidate pattern from image information on patterns displayed in the view field.

Abstract: A mask inspection apparatus includes irradiation means for irradiating a sample with an electron beam, electron detection means for detecting a quantity of electrons generated from the sample having a pattern formed thereon by the irradiation with the electron beam, image processing means for generating image data of the pattern on the basis of the quantity of the electrons, and control means for creating a line profile and a differential profile of the pattern formed on the sample on the basis of the quantity of the electrons detected by the electron detection means. The control means detects a rising edge and a falling edge of the pattern on the basis of the differential profile, and then generates mask data of a multi-level structure on the basis of data of the edges and the image data created by the image processing means.

Abstract: A DA conversion device includes a current output type DA converter, a high-speed operational amplifier operating at a low voltage and configured to generate a voltage corresponding to an output current from the DA converter, and a buffer amplifier connected to an output terminal of the high-speed operational amplifier and operating at a high voltage. The device also includes positive and negative floating power supplies separated from a power supply system and provided as power supplies for driving the DA converter and the high-speed operational amplifier. A midpoint between potentials at the floating power supplies is connected to an output terminal of the buffer amplifier to cause the DA converter and the high-speed operational amplifier to operate mainly based on an output voltage from the buffer amplifier.

Abstract: An electron beam is irradiated on an observation region of a sample surface. An image (SEM image) is acquired based on a detection signal of secondary electrons from a detector disposed obliquely above the observation region. A length of a shadow of a pattern appearing in the image is detected. Then, a height H of the pattern is calculated by a formula H=L×tan ? on the basis of the detected length L of the shadow and an apparent angle ? of the detector to the sample surface obtained in advance. An intensity distribution of the secondary electrons on a line orthogonal to an edge of the pattern is extracted, and the length L of the shadow of the pattern is obtained as a distance between two points where a recess portion of the intensity distribution intersects a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A pattern measurement apparatus includes: an irradiation unit for irradiating a sample with an electron beam; an electron detection unit for detecting the amount of electrons generated from the sample on which a pattern is formed; an image processor for generating an SEM image of the pattern based on the amount of electrons; and a controller for acquiring a rectangular measurement specification region of the SEM image and calculating a loss ratio of a corner portion of the pattern from areas of the measurement specification region and the corner portion of the pattern. The controller detects edge positions in a predetermined range including a position where a corner of the measurement specification region intersects with a side of the SEM image, and adjusts the measurement specification region in accordance with the edge positions.

Abstract: A mask inspection system includes irradiation means for irradiating a sample with an electron beam, electron detection means for detecting a quantity of electrons generated from the sample, image processing means, storage means, and control means for determining divided areas in such a way that divided images adjacent to each other overlap with each other, and acquiring the divided images of the respective divided areas. The control means extracts two divided images adjacent to each other in a predetermined sequence, then detects an image of a same pattern formation area included in an overlap area, and determines the detected image to be a combination reference image. The control means then combines the two divided images adjacent to each other on the basis of the combination reference image to thereby form an entire SEM image of the observed area.

Abstract: A stage device to be used in a vacuum includes: a gas supply unit for generating a gas; a base member having upper, lower, right, and left surfaces; a slider formed in a frame shape surrounding the base member and having surfaces facing the respective surfaces of the base member, and disposed to be movable; and an air bearing configured to float the slider by supplying the gas to a space between the base member and the slider. The slider includes: an air chamber provided on the surface facing the base member for accumulating air, and the base member includes thereinside a slider-moving air flow passage configured to guide the gas from an inlet port to an outlet port for supplying the gas to the air chamber of the slider.

Abstract: An electron-beam dimension measuring apparatus includes: electron-beam irradiating means for irradiating a surface of a sample with an electron beam; a stage on which the sample is placed; a photoelectron generating electrode disposed so as to face the sample; ultraviolet light irradiating means for emitting ultraviolet light; and control means for causing the ultraviolet light irradiating means to irradiate the sample and the photoelectron generating electrode with the ultraviolet light for a predetermined length of time, to cause the sample and the photoelectron generating electrode to emit photoelectrons, for applying a voltage to the photoelectron generating electrode, the voltage applied to supply energy corresponding to a difference between energy of photoelectrons emitted by the sample and energy of photoelectrons emitted by the photoelectron generating electrode, and thereby for controlling an electric potential of the surface of the sample to set the electric potential at 0 V.