Abstract: A multiple-charged particle-beam irradiation apparatus includes a shaping aperture array substrate that causes a charged particle beam to pass through a plurality of first apertures to form multi-beams, a plurality of blanking aperture array substrates each provided with a plurality of second apertures, which enable corresponding beams to pass, and including a blanker arranged at each of the second apertures, a movable table on which the blanking aperture array substrates are mounted so as to be spaced apart from each other in a second direction, which is orthogonal to a first direction along an optical axis, and that moves in the second direction to position one of the blanking aperture array substrates on the optical axis, and an alignment mechanism that performs an alignment adjustment between the blanking aperture array substrate on the optical axis and the shaping aperture array substrate.

Abstract: An amount of charge of a substrate is promptly and accurately calculated. A charged particle beam writing method includes a step (S100) for virtually dividing a writing region of the writing target substrate in a mesh-like manner and calculating a pattern density representing an arrangement ratio of the pattern for each mesh region, a step (S102) for calculating a dose for each mesh region using the pattern density, a step (S104) for calculating a charge amount based on a film thickness of the resist film formed on the substrate and the calculated dose by using a predetermined function for charge amount calculation, the function using, as variables, the film thickness of the resist film and the dose, a step (S106) for calculating a position shift amount of a writing position from the calculated charge amount, and a step (S108) for correcting an irradiation position of the charged particle beam using the position shift amount.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, a pattern inspection apparatus includes a circuit configured to perform, for each direction, filter processing on the image, using a plurality of two-dimensional spatial filter functions with different orientations; a circuit configured to extract a plurality of pixels each having a predetermined value larger than a first threshold, in pixel values each for the each direction of after the filter processing, as a plurality of outline pixel candidates through which an outline of the figure pattern passes; and a circuit configured to extract a plurality of outline pixels from the plurality of outline pixel candidates by excluding outline pixel candidates each of which has a differential value, greater than or equal to a second threshold, obtained by differentiating a pixel value of before the filter processing in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction corresponding to the predetermined value.

Abstract: A method for detecting a discharge site for a charged particle beam emitting apparatus includes switchable first and second modes. The first mode enables a beam of charged particles to be deflected by applying voltages to electrodes. The second mode enables acquisition of data items indicative of potential of each of the electrodes while the beam is being emitted without applying the voltages. The method includes, in the second mode, detecting an occurrence of a discharge when a fluctuation in potential indicated by data items relating to one of the electrodes exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and detecting a site corresponding to the electrode, as a site having an occurrence of the discharge.

Abstract: A method for controlling operation of an electron emission source includes acquiring, while varying an emission current of an electron beam, a characteristic between a surface current of a target object at a position on the surface of the target object irradiated with the electron beam, and the emission current, calculating, based on the characteristic, first gradient values each obtained by dividing the surface current of the target object by the emission current, in a predetermined range of the emission current in the characteristic, calculating a second gradient value by dividing a surface current of the target object by an emission current in a state where the electron beam has been adjusted, and adjusting a cathode temperature to make the second gradient value in the state where the electron beam has been adjusted be in the range of the first gradient values in the predetermined range of the emission current.

Abstract: An electrostatic beam transfer lens for a multi-beam apparatus that includes a series of multiple, successive electrodes, such that an aperture bore of each electrode is aligned along an electron gun axis and is configured to allow multiple beams to pass therethrough. The first electrode in the series is a cylindrical electrode configured to receive the multiple beams at an entrance plane. The first electrode has a bore length and a bore diameter such that a ratio of bore diameter/bore length<0.3. The shape of the first electrode defines the electrostatic field penetration to the entrance plane of the first electrode to prevent lens focusing fields of the electrostatic beam transfer lens from extending through the first electrode and beyond the entrance plane, thus providing a uniform, flat electric field at the entrance area of the electrostatic transfer lens.

Abstract: A pattern inspection apparatus includes an illumination optical system to illuminate an inspection substrate on which a pattern is formed, an offset calculation circuit to calculate an offset amount which depends on an image accumulation time of each of a plurality of photo sensor elements arrayed two-dimensionally, a time delay integration (TDI) sensor to include the plurality of photo sensor elements, to acquire an image of the inspection substrate by receiving a transmitted light or a reflected light from the inspection substrate by the plurality of photo sensor elements, to correct, using the offset amount, a pixel value of optical image data of an acquired image, and to output the optical image data having been corrected, and a comparison circuit to compare an optical image formed by the optical image data output from the TDI sensor with a reference image.

Abstract: A drawing apparatus according to the embodiment includes a chamber configured to house a processing target; a drawing part configured to draw a predetermined pattern on the processing target with a charged particle beam; a resistance measuring part configured to measure a resistance value of the processing target via a grounding member grounding the processing target in the chamber; a receiver configured to receive earthquake information; a controller configured to stop a drawing process in the chamber when the receiver receives the earthquake information; and an arithmetic processor configured to determine whether the processing target is grounded on a basis of the resistance value from the resistance measuring part, wherein the controller resumes the drawing process when the arithmetic processor determines that the processing target is grounded after the drawing process is stopped.

Abstract: A multiple charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a margined block region generation circuit to generate plural margined block regions each formed by adding a margin region to the periphery of each block region of plural block regions obtained by dividing the writing region of the target object, a detection circuit to detect a defective beam in multiple charged particle beams, a specifying circuit to specify, for each defective beam detected, a position irradiated with the defective beam, and an affiliation determination circuit to determine a margined block region, in the plural margined block regions, to which the position irradiated with the defective beam belongs, based on conditions set according to a sub-block region, in plural sub-block regions acquired by dividing the margined block region, in which the position irradiated with the defective beam in the multiple charged particle beams is located.

Abstract: An image acquisition method includes storing a coefficient of a relational expression between a parameter corresponding to a light quantity incident on an imaging sensor including a photo sensor element and an output value of the imaging sensor in the case of the light incident on the imaging sensor which employs a reference image accumulation time, inputting a desired image accumulation time, and calculating a parameter for obtaining a desired output value of the imaging sensor by using a corrected relational expression obtained by correcting using an output value of the imaging sensor employing the desired image accumulation time in the case of the incident light quantity being zero, adjusting the light quantity incident on the imaging sensor to be a calculated parameter, and acquiring a target image by the imaging sensor on which an adjusted light quantity is incident, and outputting data of the acquired image.

Abstract: The present invention quickly calculates values of optimal excitation parameters which are set in lenses in multiple stages. A multi charged particle beam adjustment method includes forming a multi charged particle beam, calculating, for each of lenses in two or more stages disposed corresponding to object lenses in two or more stages, a first rate of change and a second rate of change in response to change in at least an excitation parameter, the first rate of change being a rate of change in a demagnification level of a beam image of the multi charged particle beam, the second rate of change being a rate of change in a rotation level of the beam image, and calculating a first amount of correction to the excitation parameter of each of the lenses based on an amount of correction to the demagnification level and the rotation level of the beam image, the first rate of change, and the second rate of change.

Abstract: A multi-charged particle beam writing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a region setting unit configured to set, as an irradiation region for a beam array to be used, the region of the central portion of an irradiation region for all of multiple beams of charged particle beams implemented to be emittable by a multiple beam irradiation mechanism, and a writing mechanism, including the multiple beam irradiation mechanism, configured to write a pattern on a target object with the beam array in the region of the central portion having been set in the multiple beams implemented.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, a ? stage mechanism includes a fixed shaft; a plurality of bearings in which outer rings roll on an outer peripheral surface of the fixed shaft; a plurality of cylindrical members supported in a state of being inserted inside inner rings of the plurality of bearings; and a table that is arranged on the plurality of cylindrical members and moves in a rotational direction about a center of the fixed shaft by the plurality of bearings rolling on an outer peripheral surface of the fixed shaft.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a blanking aperture array substrate provided with a plurality of blankers configured to respectively perform blanking deflection on a plurality of charged particle beams included in a multi-beam, and a first shield member which is disposed downstream of the blanking aperture array substrate with respect to a travel direction of the multi-beam, has a cylindrical part in which the multi-beam passes through, and is composed of a high magnetic permeability material.

Abstract: A blanking aperture array unit according to the present embodiment includes a chip configured to control a charged particle beam by blanking control of switching whether to irradiate a target with the charged particle beam; a substrate having the chip mounted thereon; a wire configured to electrically connect pads on the chip to the substrate and transmit a control signal for the blanking control from the substrate to the chip through the pads; and a conductive covering member having a first end connected to the substrate and a second end located on the chip, the covering member being provided from the first end to the second end to cover the wire while maintaining electrical insulation from the wire, and at least two end sides of the second end of the covering member are nearer a central portion of the chip than locations of the pads on the chip.

Abstract: In a charged particle beam writing method according to one embodiment, a deflector is caused to deflect a charged particle beam and a pattern is written by irradiating a substrate with the charged particle beam. The charged particle beam writing method includes calculating a charge amount distribution based on a charge amount of a beam irradiation region on the substrate immediately after irradiation with the charged particle beam and a diffusion coefficient for electric charge of the substrate, calculating a position shift distribution of the charged particle beam on the substrate based on the charge amount distribution, and correcting an irradiation position of the charged particle beam based on the position shift distribution.

Abstract: Method for searching a hole pattern in image includes extracting, from an image where a hole pattern is formed, plural outline position candidates serving as candidates for plural positions where an outline of the hole pattern passes, generating, for each pixel in a region including the plural outline position candidates, a distance map which defines, for each of plural directions, a distance from each of the plural outline position candidates to each of pixels arrayed in a target direction of the plural directions, extracting a candidate for a center pixel of the hole pattern by using the distance map generated for each direction, and searching, in the plural outline position candidates, a group of outline position candidates which satisfies a predetermined condition in the case of using the candidate for the center pixel as a starting point, as plural outline positions where the outline of the hole pattern passes.

Abstract: A multi-charged particle beam writing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a region setting unit configured to set, as an irradiation region for a beam array to be used, the region of the central portion of an irradiation region for all of multiple beams of charged particle beams implemented to be emittable by a multiple beam irradiation mechanism, and a writing mechanism, including the multiple beam irradiation mechanism, configured to write a pattern on a target object with the beam array in the region of the central portion having been set in the multiple beams implemented.

Abstract: A multiple secondary electron beam alignment method includes scanning a plurality of first detection elements of a multi-detector, which are arrayed in a grid, with multiple secondary electron beams emitted from a surface of a target object on a stage, detecting a plurality of beams including a corner beam located at a corner in the multiple secondary electron beams by the multi-detector, calculating a positional relationship between the plurality of beams including the corner beam and a plurality of second detection elements, which have detected the plurality of beams including the corner beam, in the plurality of first detection elements, calculating, based on the positional relationship, a shift amount for aligning the plurality of first detection elements with the multiple secondary electron beams, and moving, using the shift amount, the multi-detector relatively to the multiple secondary electron beams.

Abstract: The present disclosure is related to a Schottky thermal field (TFE) source for emitting an electron beam. Electron optics can adjust a shape of the electron beam before the electron beam impacts a scintillator screen. Thereafter, the scintillator screen generates an emission image in the form of light. An emission image can be adjusted and captured by a camera sensor in a camera at a desired magnification to create a final image of the Schottky TFE source's tip. The final image can be displayed and analyzed to for defects.