Abstract: In a particle-beam projection processing apparatus for irradiating a target by a beam of energetic electrically charged particles, including an illumination system, a pattern definition system for positioning an aperture arrangement composed of apertures transparent to the energetic particles in the path of the illuminating beam, and a projection system to project the beam onto a target, there is provided at least one plate electrode device, which has openings corresponding to the apertures of the pattern definition system and including a composite electrode composed of a number of partial electrodes being arranged non-overlapping and adjoining to each other, the total lateral dimensions of the composite electrode covering the aperture arrangement of the pattern definition system. The partial electrodes can be applied different electrostatic potentials.

Abstract: In a particle multi-beam structuring apparatus for forming a pattern on a target's surface using a beam of electrically charged particles, during exposure steps the particle beam is produced, directed through a pattern definition means producing a patterned particle beam composed of multiple beamlets, and projected by an optical column including a controllable deflection means onto the target surface to form, at a nominal location on the target, a beam image comprising the image of defining structures in the pattern definition means. The beam image's nominal location relative to the target is changed between exposure steps. The actual location of the beam image is varied within each exposure step around the nominal location, through a set of locations realizing a distribution of locations within the image plane around a mean location coinciding with the nominal location, thus introducing an additional blur which is homogenous over the entire beam image.

Abstract: An improved aperture arrangement in a device for defining a pattern on a target, for use in a particle-beam exposure apparatus, by being irradiated with a beam of electrically charged particles and allowing passage of the beam only through a plurality of apertures. The device includes an aperture array having a plurality of apertures of identical shape defining the shape and relative position of beamlets permeating the apertures. A blanking device switches off the passage of selected beamlets permeating the apertures and defined by them. The apertures are arranged on the aperture array according to an arrangement deviating from a regular arrangement by small deviations, adjusting for distortions caused by the particle-beam exposure apparatus, and the size of the apertures of the aperture array differs across the aperture array in order to allow for an adjustment of the current radiated on the target through the apertures and the corresponding openings.

Abstract: In a maskless particle multibeam processing apparatus, a particle beam is projected through a pattern definition system producing a regular array of beamlets according to a desired pattern, which is projected onto a target which moves at continuous speed along a scanning direction with respect to the pattern definition system. During a sequence of uniformly timed exposure steps the beam image is moved along with the target along the scanning direction, and between exposure steps the location of the beam image is changed with respect to the target. During each exposure step the target covers a distance greater than the mutual distance of neighboring image elements on the target.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for producing a multi-beam deflector array device with a plurality of openings for use in a particle-beam exposure apparatus, in particular a projection lithography system, said method starting from a CMOS wafer and comprising the steps of generating at least one pair of parallel trenches on the first side of the wafer blank at the edges of an area where the circuitry layer below is non-functional, the trenches reaching into the layer of bulk material; passivating the sidewalls and bottom of the trenches; depositing a conducting filling material into the trenches, thus creating columns of filling material serving as electrodes; attaching metallic contact means to the top of the electrodes; structuring of an opening between the electrodes, said opening stretching across abovementioned area so that the columns are arranged opposite of each other on the sidewalls of the opening.

Abstract: A multi-beam source for generating a plurality of beamlets of energetic electrically charged particles. The multi-beam source includes an illumination system generating an illuminating beam of charged particles and a beam-forming system being arranged after the illumination system as seen in the direction of the beam, adapted to form a plurality of telecentric or homocentric beamlets out of the illuminating beam. The beam forming system includes a beam-splitter and an electrical zone device, the electrical zone having a composite electrode composed of a plurality of substantially planar partial electrodes, adapted to be applied different electrostatic potentials and thus influencing the beamlets.

Abstract: For maskless irradiating a target with a beam of energetic electrically charged particles using a pattern definition means with a plurality of apertures and imaging the apertures in the pattern definition means onto a target which moves (v) relative to the pattern definition means laterally to the axis, the location of the image is moved along with the target, for a pixel exposure period within which a distance of relative movement of the target is covered which is at least a multiple of the width (w) of the aperture images as measured on the target, and after said pixel exposure period the location of the beam image is changed, which change of location generally compensates the overall movement of the location of the beam image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for forming a pattern on a substrate surface of a target by means of a beam of electrically charged particles in a number of exposure steps, where the beam is split into a patterned beam and there is a relative motion between the substrate and the pattern definition means. This results in an effective overall motion of the patterned particle beam over the substrate surface and exposition of image elements on the substrate surface in each exposure step, wherein the image elements on the target are exposed to the beamlets multiply, namely several times during a number of exposure steps according to a specific sequence. The sequence of exposure steps of the image elements is arranged in a non-linear manner according to a specific rule from one exposure step to the subsequent exposure step in order to reduce the current variations in the optical column of the multi-beam exposure apparatus during the exposure of the pattern.

Abstract: For irradiating a target with a beam of energetic electrically charged particles comprising a plurality of beamlets, the target is exposed in a sequence of exposure stripes composed image pixels. These stripes (s1, s2) are, at their boundaries to adjacent stripes, provided with overlap margins (m12, m21) which are mutually overlapped, so nominal positions of image pixels in the overlap margin (m21) overlap, or substantially coincide, with image pixels in the corresponding overlap margin (m12). During the exposure of an overlap margin (m21), a first subset (n1) of image pixels in said overlap margin are exposed while those of a second subset (n2), possibly a complementary subset with respect to a desired pattern, are not exposed; contrariwise, during the exposure of the corresponding overlap margin (m12), image pixels corresponding to image pixels in the first subset are not exposed, but those corresponding to image pixels in the second subset are.

Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-beam deflector array means for use in a particle-beam exposure apparatus employing a beam of charged particles, said multi-beam deflector array means having an overall plate-like shape with a membrane region and a buried CMOS-layer, said membrane region comprising a first side facing towards the incoming beam of particles and a second side opposite to the first side, an array of apertures, each aperture allowing passage of a corresponding beam element formed out of said beam of particles, and an array of electrodes, each aperture being associated with at least one of said electrodes and the electrodes being controlled via said CMOS layer, wherein the electrodes are pillared, standing proud of the main body of the multi-beam deflector array means, the electrodes being connected to one side of the main body of the multi-beam deflector array means by means of bonding connections.

Abstract: For maskless irradiating a target with a beam of energetic electrically charged particles using a pattern definition means with a plurality of apertures and imaging the apertures in the pattern definition means onto a target which moves (v) relative to the pattern definition means laterally to the axis, the location of the image is moved along with the target, for a pixel exposure period within which a distance of relative movement of the target is covered which is at least a multiple of the width (w) of the aperture images as measured on the target, and after said pixel exposure period the location of the beam image is changed, which change of location generally compensates the overall movement of the location of the beam image.

Abstract: In a particle multi-beam structuring apparatus for forming a pattern on a target's surface using a beam of electrically charged particles, during exposure steps the particle beam is produced, directed through a pattern definition means producing a patterned particle beam composed of multiple beamlets, and projected by an optical column including a controllable deflection means onto the target surface to form, at a nominal location on the target, a beam image comprising the image of defining structures in the pattern definition means. The beam image's nominal location relative to the target is changed between exposure steps. The actual location of the beam image is varied within each exposure step around the nominal location, through a set of locations realizing a distribution of locations within the image plane around a mean location coinciding with the nominal location, thus introducing an additional blur which is homogenous over the entire beam image.

Abstract: In a charged-particle exposure apparatus for exposure of a target with a beam of electrically charged particles, the illumination system includes a deflector device adapted to vary the direction of incidence of the illuminating beam upon the pattern definition device, the pattern definition device forms the shape of the illuminating beam into a desired pattern, and the projection optics system projects an image of the beam shape defined in the pattern definition device onto the target; the projection optics system includes a blocking aperture device having an opening and being adapted to block passage of beams traversing outside the opening, namely when the deflector device is activated to tilt the beamlet by a sufficient angle from its non-deflected path, e.g., for blanking out during the process of loading a pattern into the pattern definition device.

Abstract: For maskless irradiating a target with a beam of energetic electrically charged particles using a pattern definition means with a plurality of apertures and imaging the apertures in the pattern definition means onto a target which moves (v) relative to the pattern definition means laterally to the axis, the location of the image is moved along with the target, for a pixel exposure period within which a distance of relative movement of the target is covered which is at least a multiple of the width (w) of the aperture images as measured on the target, and after said pixel exposure period the location of the beam image is changed, which change of location generally compensates the overall movement of the location of the beam image.

Abstract: In a pattern-lock system of particle-beam apparatus wherein the imaging of the pattern is done by means of at least two consecutive projector stages of the projecting system, reference marks are imaged upon registering means to determine the position of the particle-beam, at the location of an intermediary image of the reference marks produced by a non-final projector stage, with the registering means being positioned at locations of nominal positions of an intermediary imaging plane. Furthermore, to produce a scanning movement over the registering means the reference beamlets are shifted laterally by means of deflector means provided in the pattern defining means in dependence of a time-dependent electric voltage.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for producing a multi-beam deflector array device with a plurality of openings for use in a particle-beam exposure apparatus, in particular a projection lithography system, said method starting from a CMOS wafer and comprising the steps of generating at least one pair of parallel trenches on the first side of the wafer blank at the edges of an area where the circuitry layer below is non-functional, the trenches reaching into the layer of bulk material; passivating the sidewalls and bottom of the trenches; depositing a conducting filling material into the trenches, thus creating columns of filling material serving as electrodes; attaching metallic contact means to the top of the electrodes; structuring of an opening between the electrodes, said opening stretching across abovementioned area so that the columns are arranged opposite of each other on the sidewalls of the opening.

Abstract: In a particle-beam apparatus for irradiating a target, a pattern defined in a pattern definer is projected onto the target through a projection system by a beam of energetic electrically charged particles of, largely, a species of a nominal mass having a nominal kinetic energy. To generate the beam, a particle source, a velocity-dependent deflector and an illumination optics system are provided. The velocity-dependent deflector includes a transversal dipole electrical field and/or a transversal dipole magnetic field, which act upon the particles so as to causing a deviation of the path of the particles with regard to the paths of the nominal species which is dependent on the velocity of the particles. A delimiter is provided as a component of the pattern definer or, preferably, the projection system, serving to remove particles whose paths are deviating from the nominal path.

Abstract: A particle-beam projection processing apparatus for irradiating a target, with an illumination system for forming a wide-area illuminating beam of energetic electrically charged particles; a pattern definition means for positioning an aperture pattern in the path of the illuminating beam; and a projection system for projecting the beam thus patterned onto a target to be positioned after the projection system. A foil located across the path of the patterned beam is positioned between the pattern definition means and the position of the target at a location close to an image of the aperture pattern formed by the projection system.

Abstract: In a maskless particle multibeam processing apparatus, a particle beam is projected through a pattern definition system producing a regular array of beamlets according to a desired pattern, which is projected onto a target which moves at continuous speed along a scanning direction with respect to the pattern definition system. During a sequence of uniformly timed exposure steps the beam image is moved along with the target along the scanning direction, and between exposure steps the location of the beam image is changed with respect to the target. During each exposure step the target covers a distance greater than the mutual distance of neighboring image elements on the target.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for forming a pattern on a substrate surface of a target by means of a beam of electrically charged particles in a number of exposure steps, where the beam is split into a patterned beam and there is a relative motion between the substrate and the pattern definition means. This results in an effective overall motion of the patterned particle beam over the substrate surface and exposition of image elements on the substrate surface in each exposure step, wherein the image elements on the target are exposed to the beamlets multiply, namely several times during a number of exposure steps according to a specific sequence. The sequence of exposure steps of the image elements is arranged in a non-linear manner according to a specific rule from one exposure step to the subsequent exposure step in order to reduce the current variations in the optical column of the multi-beam exposure apparatus during the exposure of the pattern.