Abstract: The invention is directed to electrostatic deflection systems for corpuscular beams which can be used particularly in microstructured and nanostructured applications in lithography installations or measuring equipment. According to the proposed object of the invention, the individual electrodes of a deflection system of this kind should permanently have and retain a very exact axially symmetric arrangement relative to one another. In the electrostatic deflection system according to the invention, rod-shaped electrodes are held in an axially symmetric arrangement in an inwardly hollow carrier through which a corpuscular beam can be directed. The carrier is formed of at least two, and at most four, carrier members which are connected to one another.

Abstract: A device and a method for imaging and positioning a multiparticle beam on a substrate is disclosed. The device comprises a particle beam source with a condenser optic that produces a particle beam that illuminates the surface of an aperture plate. A multiplicity of individual beams are produced from the particle beam by means of the aperture plate, which are then projected by a projection system onto a substrate where they describe a beam base point. The substrate or target, respectively, is placed on a table that is movable along an x-coordinate and a y-coordinate, and that is provided with a laser path measurement system.

Abstract: A process for controlling the proximity effect correction in an electron beam lithography system. The exposure is controlled in order to obtain resulting pattern after processing which is conform to design data. In a first step an arbitrary set patterns is exposed without applying the process for controlling the proximity correction. The geometry of the resulting test structures is measured and a set of measurement data is obtained. Within a numerical range basic input parameters for the parameters ?, ? and ?, are derived from the set of measurement data. A model is fitted by individually changing at least the basic input parameters ?, ? and ? of a control function to measurement data set and thereby obtaining an optimised set of parameters. The correction function is applied to an exposure control of the electron beam lithography system during the exposure of a pattern according to the design data.

Abstract: A method is disclosed in which the speed of the substrate carrier system 50 is changed during exposure depending on the exposure pattern density. The substrate carrier system 50 defines a track curve 60, whereby the exposure pattern is exposed within a band (621, 622, . . . 623) around the track curve.

Abstract: A device and a method for imaging and positioning a multiparticle beam on a substrate is disclosed. The device comprises a particle beam source with a condenser optic that produces a particle beam that illuminates the surface of an aperture plate. A multiplicity of individual beams are produced from the particle beam by means of the aperture plate, which are then projected by a projection system onto a substrate where they describe a beam base point. The substrate or target, respectively, is placed on a table that is movable along an x-coordinate and a y-coordinate, and that is provided with a laser path measurement system.

Abstract: Method for reducing the fogging effect in an electron beam lithography system wherein the exposure is controlled in order to obtain resulting pattern after processing which are conform to design data. A model for the fogging effect is fitted by individually changing at least the basic input parameters of the control function, the function type is chosen in accordance to the Kernel type used in the proximity corrector. The proximity effect is considered as well and an optimised set of parameters is obtained in order to gain a common control function for the proximity and fogging effect. The pattern writing with an e-beam lithographic system is controlled by the single combined proximity effect control function and the fogging effect control function in only one data-processing step using the same algorithms as are implemented in a standard proximity corrector.

Abstract: A process for controlling the proximity effect correction in an electron beam lithography system. The exposure is controlled in order to obtain resulting pattern after processing which is conform to design data. In a first step an arbitrary set patterns is exposed without applying the process for controlling the proximity correction. The geometry of the resulting test structures is measured and a set of measurement data is obtained. Within a numerical range basic input parameters for the parameters ?, ? and ?, are derived from the set of measurement data. A model is fitted by individually changing at least the basic input parameters ?, ? and ? of a control function to measurement data set and thereby obtaining an optimised set of parameters. The correction function is applied to an exposure control of the electron beam lithography system during the exposure of a pattern according to the design data.

Abstract: The invention is based on a method for examining structures on a semiconductor substrate. The structures are imaged with X-radiation in an X-ray microscope. The wavelength of the X-radiation is established as a function of the thickness of the semiconductor substrate in such a way that both a suitable transmission of the X-radiation through the semiconductor substrate and a high-contrast image are obtained. As a result, the structures can be observed continuously with short exposure times, high resolution and even while they are in operation.

Abstract: In a method for forming, with the aid of an electron beam (6), a polyline on a substrate (4) coated with a radiation-sensitive resist, the electron beam (6) is directed onto a surface of the substrate (4) in the direction of a Z coordinate, and the substrate (4) is displaced relative to the electron beam (6) in an X-Y plane in individual steps. After each individual step of the displacement, the electron beam (6) acts with a predefined energy input on the substrate (4) during a halt in the displacement motion. The energy input for each individual step is determined as a function of the shape of the polyline ascertained from several preceding individual steps. Also described is a corresponding apparatus with which, using electron beam lithography, it is possible to form polylines with a very uniform line width. The method and apparatus are particularly suitable for writing curved polylines.

Abstract: The invention refers to an arrangement for positioning substrates, in particular for positioning wafers, within a device that is provided for exposure of the substrates and/or for measurement on the substrates by means of radiation under high-vacuum conditions. The following are provided according to the present invention: a retention system (4), displaceable on a linear guidance system (3), for receiving the substrate, the guidance direction of the linear guidance system (3) being oriented parallel or substantially parallel to the Y coordinate of an X, Y, Z spatial coordinate system; drives for limited modification of the inclination of the guidance direction relative to the Y coordinate; drives for limited rotation of the linear guidance system (3), including the retention system (4), about the guidance direction; and drives for parallel displacement of the linear guidance system (3), including the retention system (4), in the direction of the X coordinate, the Y coordinate, and/or the Z coordinate.

Abstract: The invention refers to the field of electron beam lithography, in particular to a method for directing an electron beam (6) onto a target position (Z) on the surface of a substrate, the substrate first being placed onto a movable stage (2) and the stage (2) then being displaced stepwise, in the X and/or Y coordinates of a Cartesian grid, until the target position (Z) is located at a spacing from the impact point (P) of the undeflected electron beam (6) which is smaller than the smallest step distance of the stage displacement system, and then the electron beam (6) is directed onto the target position (Z) by deflection. This results in a considerable increase in positioning accuracy in electron beam lithography. Positioning accuracies on the order of 0.1 nm to 0.05 are achievable. The method is suitable in particular for writing grating patterns in which the spacing between the individual grating lines must be maintained with high accuracy.

Abstract: The invention refers to a method for exposing a layout comprising multiple layers on a wafer, in which at least one layer is exposed photolithographically and subsequently at least one further layer is exposed with an electron beam, and the wafer is to be aligned in defined fashion with respect to the electron beam exposure system in terms of the previously photolithographically exposed layer. It is provided according to the present invention that before electron beam exposure begins, an alignment of the wafer (global alignment) is performed on the basis of structural features that were previously generated on the wafer by photolithographic exposure. For example, the wafer is first positioned coarsely in such a way that a surface area having selected structural features is located in the deflection region of the electron beam.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for exposing a substrate (1) equipped with an n-layer photoresist system (2), an electrically conductive connection being created between a ground potential and the substrate (1) and/or at least one of the layers S1 through Sn of the photoresist system (2). The invention furthermore concerns an arrangement for carrying out said method. According to the present invention, what is achieved in a single process step is that by way of spring elements E1 through E4, a contact tip K1 is advanced as far as the layer S1, a contact tip K2 is advanced through the layer S1 as far as the layer S2, a contact tip K3 is advanced through the layer S1 and S2 as far as the layer S3, and so forth. The electrical charges from the layer S1 are dissipated to the ground potential via the contact tip K1, the charges from the layer S2 via the contact tip K2, etc., and/or and from the substrate (1) via a contact tip K4.

Abstract: The invention refers to a device for electrostatic deflection of a particle beam out of a primary beam direction for the purpose of scanning a plane spanned by two coordinates X, Y, in which multiple electrodes configured as deflection wires are connected to an activation circuit and are acted upon, depending on the activation, by modifiable deflection voltages; the primary beam direction intersects the origin of coordinates X and Y, and the respective applied deflection voltage is an equivalent for the deflection of the particle beam out of the primary beam direction in the direction of coordinate X or coordinate Y. In such a device, the deflection wires are linked into deflection grids and are joined to one another and to the activation circuit in such a way that an equivalent deflection voltage is always applied to all deflection wires belonging to one and the same deflection grid.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a device for holding a substrate in an exposure system. In the exposure system, the substrate is positioned on a table movable in the X and Y coordinates of an X, Y plane, and the exposure system provides a metering assembly between a table surface and the substrate to adjust the distance and to align the substrate in relation to an exposure optics, from where a corpuscular radiation is directed right-angled onto a substrate surface, corresponding to the Z coordinate. The device for holding the substrate includes two mounting plates aligned parallel to the X, Y plane, adjusted upon the table in a direction to the exposure optics and with different distances to the table surface, the first mounting plate of which being directly connected to the table.

Abstract: The invention refers to a method for exposing a layout comprising multiple layers on a wafer, in which at least one layer is exposed photolithographically and subsequently at least one further layer is exposed with an electron beam, and the wafer is to be aligned in defined fashion with respect to the electron beam exposure system in terms of the previously photolithographically exposed layer.

Abstract: The description relates to high-transmission condenser-monochromator arrangements providing quasi-monochromatic object illumination and incoherent imaging in X-ray microscopes (5) and are particularly suitable for well-collimated beams from undulators on electron storage rings. As the deflecting optical component, the condenser-monochromator arrangements comprise an off-axis zone plate in transmission (7) or reflection. There is a monochromator diaphragm (11) in the object plane. The exposure aperture of the condenser-monochromator arrangement may be variably set by means of simple plane mirrors (2). The off-axis zone plate (7) and at least one plane mirror (2) are rotated about the optical axis 6 of the X-ray microscope (5) during exposure. In addition, there are fixed elements containing a focusing device with a focusing ring and a downstream system on one or two hollow conical mirrors.