Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure apparatus capable of detecting a partial unevenness and adjusting the height of the surface of a specimen to be exposed is disclosed. This charged particle beam exposure apparatus comprises a charged particle beam source, a charged particle beam shaper, a deflector for changing the position where the charged particle beam is radiated on the specimen, a projector for projecting the charged particle beam on the specimen, and a control unit for controlling the deflector and the projector at the time of exposure. A pattern is plotted on the specimen by the charged particle beam being converged and deflected appropriately. The apparatus further comprises a stage for moving the specimen within the apparatus, and a height measuring unit for measuring the height distribution in a predetermined range of the specimen with at least a predetermined density while the specimen is loaded in the apparatus.

Abstract: A terminal assembly includes a main block made of an electrically insulating material having a number of connection spaces for cables and contacts. The terminal assembly further includes contacts each having a connecting portion to be connected to a cable, a fixing portion to be fixed to the main block and a connection portion to be connected to a mating component. Each of the connection spaces includes a set screw having a washer inserted in the main block for electrically connecting and fixing the cable to the contact, and a nut inserted in the connection space for threadedly engaging the set screw having the washer. The main block is formed with set screw receiving apertures for the set screws.

Abstract: Fine granular feeds for fry of fishes and shellfishes capable of remarkably elevating the survival rate of fry, improving the cultivation efficiency, and causing little elution of nitrogen sources therefrom into seawater or water in feeding, which are characterized by containing at least three active components, i.e., (a) a long-chain unsaturated fatty acid calcium salt blend comprising 80% by weight or more of long-chain unsaturated fatty acid calcium salt(s) having at least 18 carbon atoms, (b) 20% by weight or less of a browned matter formed by heating molasses or saccharides, a browned matter formed by heating saccharides with amino acids or a mixture thereof at an arbitrary ratio, and (c) a mixture of peptides obtained by hydrolyzing animal protein, and being in the form of fine grains.

Abstract: An electron gun, preferably a four-pole electron gun, used in an electron beam exposure apparatus is formed by: a cathode for emitting an electron beam when supplying a negative and high-accelerated voltage; a first grid provided downstream of the cathode for focusing a crossover image of the electron beam when supplying a voltage which becomes a reverse bias for the cathode, and the cathode and the first grid being arranged at a high voltage side of a high voltage insulator; an anode for collecting the electron beam which passes through the first grid, and being arranged at a low voltage side of the high voltage insulator; and a second grid provided at the high voltage side of the high voltage insulator and between the first grid and the anode, and having an aperture for limiting an amount of the electron beam passing therethrough. A voltage which becomes a forward bias for the cathode is supplied to the second grid, and the crossover image is focused at the aperture of the second grid.

Abstract: A method of detecting deficiency of an aperture used in a charged-particle-beam exposure process employing at least two exposure columns is disclosed, where each of the two exposure columns passes a charged-particle beam through the aperture formed through a mask to shape a cross section of the charged-particle beam before exposing the charged-particle beam onto an object. The method includes the steps of mounting masks having the same aperture to the at least two exposure columns; scanning, in each of the at least two exposure columns, the charged-particle beam over an area containing a mark on a surface substantially at the same height as the object after passing the charged-particle beam through the same aperture; obtaining, in each of the at least two exposure columns, a signal waveform corresponding to the scan by detecting charged particles scattered by the mark; and comparing the signal waveform between the at least two exposure columns.

Abstract: A block mask for making a charged particle beam exposure using block exposure includes a plurality of block mask patterns respectively including repeating patterns, where the block mask patterns are arranged in an order dependent on an exposure sequence, at least one first block mask pattern group made up of arbitrary ones of the block mask patterns which are arranged in a predetermined direction, and at least one second block mask pattern group made up of the arbitrary ones of the block mask patterns which are arranged in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction. The second block mask pattern group is arranged adjacent to the first block mask pattern group.

Abstract: A method of detecting deficiency of an aperture used in a charged-particle-beam exposure process employing at least two exposure columns is disclosed, where each of the two exposure columns passes a charged-particle beam through the aperture formed through a mask to shape a cross section of the charged-particle beam before exposing the charged-particle beam onto an object. The method includes the steps of mounting masks having the same aperture to the at least two exposure columns; scanning, in each of the at least two exposure columns, the charged-particle beam over an area containing a mark on a surface substantially at the same height as the object after passing the charged-particle beam through the same aperture; obtaining, in each of the at least two exposure columns, a signal waveform corresponding to the scan by detecting charged particles scattered by the mark; and comparing the signal waveform between the at least two exposure columns.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of charged particle beam exposure wherein an area of an exposure pattern is exposed by irradiating a sample with a charged particle beam while moving said sample, comprising: a step of generating speed data including the speed distribution in a direction of movement of the sample in accordance with secondary data which is generated from a pattern data including at least data of the exposure pattern and data of an exposure position, and includes at least density information of the exposure pattern; and a step of irradiating the sample with the charged particle beam in accordance with the pattern data while being moved at variable speed in accordance with the speed data. According to the invention, the through-put is improved very much without any defect of the exposure.

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure method and apparatus, in which a charged particle beam is shaped based on pattern data and the shaped charged particle beam is irradiated to a desired location on a sample. The method and apparatus includes introducing ozone gas into a chamber through which the charged particle beam is passed, shaped and deflected, to be irradiated to the desired location while the charged particle beam is irradiated through the chamber. The ozone gas concentration in the chamber is maintained so that the concentration downstream along the beam is higher than the concentration upstream along the beam. A charge-up drift due to a contamination material from a resist on a wafer can be avoided by the ozone self cleaning. The ozone oxidation does not occur at the upstream chamber where there is a lower ozone concentration and lower contamination.

Abstract: A method for providing charged particle beam exposure onto an object having a plurality of chip areas with a plurality of aligning marks formed in correspondence to each of said chip areas. A charged particle beam is irradiated upon an object mounted on a mobile step based upon positions of the aligning marks. Actual positions of the alignment marks are detected and compared to the design positions of the alignment marks to determine approximate relationships which are used to calculate an actual position to perform exposure.

Abstract: An electron gun for emitting an electron beam traveling along a beam axis includes a cathode having a tip, the tip having substantially a circular conic shape and a tip surface substantially at the beam axis, the cathode being applied with a first voltage, an anode having a first aperture substantially on the beam axis and being applied with a second voltage higher than the first voltage, a control electrode having a second aperture substantially on the beam axis and being applied with a voltage lower that the first voltage to control a current of the cathode, the second aperture being larger than the tip surface, a guide electrode having a third aperture substantially on the beam axis, being arranged between the cathode and the anode, and being applied with a voltage higher than the first voltage and lower than the second voltage, the third aperture being smaller than the tip surface, and a lens electrode having a fourth aperture substantially on the beam axis, being arranged between the guide electrode and

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure method is adapted to an exposure apparatus which includes a plurality of exposure systems that simultaneously expose the same pattern. The method includes the steps of (a) generating, by a pattern generating unit in each exposure system, data related to patterns which are to be exposed, (b) deflecting, by a column unit in each exposure system, a charged particle beam onto an object which is mounted on a stage by deflecting the charged particle beam based on the data generated by the pattern generating unit in a corresponding exposure system, and (c) detecting an abnormality in the exposure apparatus during operation of the exposure apparatus based on data which are obtained from corresponding parts of the exposure systems.

Abstract: In a charged particle beam exposure method and an apparatus therefor, wherein the intensity of the charged particle beam used for irradiation is increased to a maximum to improve a throughput for an exposure procedure, accordingly, the temperature of a sample, such as a wafer, is elevated and thermal expansion occurs. The thermal expansion that occurs has reproducibility based on the intensity of the projected charged particle beam. Therefore, a coefficient of thermal expansion is detected by monitoring the intensity of the projected charged particle beam. A shifting distance for each irradiation position which is acquired from the thermal expansion is added as a compensation value for deflection of the charged particle beam, to provide an accurate exposure procedure.

Abstract: An electron gun for emitting an electron beam traveling along a beam axis includes a cathode having a tip, the tip having substantially a circular conic shape and a tip surface substantially at the beam axis, the cathode being applied with a first voltage, an anode having a first aperture substantially on the beam axis and being applied with a second voltage higher than the first voltage, a control electrode having a second aperture substantially on the beam axis and being applied with a voltage lower than the first voltage to control a current of the cathode, the second aperture being larger than the tip surface, a guide electrode having a third aperture substantially on the beam axis, being arranged between the cathode and the anode, and being applied with a voltage higher than the first voltage and lower than the second voltage, the third aperture being smaller than the tip surface, and a lens electrode having a fourth aperture substantially on the beam axis, being arranged between the guide electrode and

Abstract: An electron gun for emitting an electron beam traveling along a beam axis includes a cathode having a tip, the tip having substantially a circular conic shape and a tip surface substantially at the beam axis, the cathode being applied with a first voltage, an anode having a first aperture substantially on the beam axis and being applied with a second voltage higher than the first voltage, a control electrode having a second aperture substantially on the beam axis and being applied with a voltage lower than the first voltage to control a current of the cathode, the second aperture being larger than the tip surface, a guide electrode having a third aperture substantially on the beam axis, being arranged between the cathode and the anode, and being applied with a voltage higher than the first voltage and lower than the second voltage, the third aperture being smaller than the tip surface, and a lens electrode having a fourth aperture substantially on the beam axis, being arranged between the guide electrode and

Abstract: A block mask for making a charged particle beam exposure using block exposure includes a plurality of block mask patterns respectively including repeating patterns, where the block mask patterns are arranged in an order dependent on an exposure sequence, at least one first block mask pattern group made up of arbitrary ones of the block mask patterns which are arranged in a predetermined direction, and at least one second block mask pattern group made up of the arbitrary ones of the block mask patterns which are arranged in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction. The second block mask pattern group is arranged adjacent to the first block mask pattern group.

Abstract: By using a blanking aperture array BAA, the density of the bit map data in the portions where adjacent areas are linked is decreased toward the outside. On the lower surface of the holder of the BAA chip, a ball grid array wired to blanking electrodes is formed, to be pressed in contact against pads on a wiring base board. The registered bit map data for an isosceles right triangle are read out from address A=A0+?RA.multidot.i! (A0 and i are integers, ? ! is an operator for integerizing), masked, and then shifted by bits to be deformed. From registered bit map data for proximity effect correction, the area which corresponds to the size of the object of correction and the required degree of proximity affect correction is extracted, and logic operation with the bit map data of the object of correction is performed to achieve proximity affect correction.

Abstract: A method of detecting deficiency of an aperture used in a charged-particle-beam exposure process employing at least two exposure columns is disclosed, where each of the two exposure columns passes a charged-particle beam through the aperture formed through a mask to shape a cross section of the charged-particle beam before exposing the charged-particle beam onto an object. The method includes the steps of mounting masks having the same aperture to the at least two exposure columns; scanning, in each of the at least two exposure columns, the charged-particle beam over an area containing a mark on a surface substantially at the same height as the object after passing the charged-particle beam through the same aperture; obtaining, in each of the at least two exposure columns, a signal waveform corresponding to the scan by detecting charged particles scattered by the mark; and comparing the signal waveform between the at least two exposure columns.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to ensure a correct exposure even when a single exposure apparatus is used to expose a predetermined pattern, and an exposure apparatus therefor.

Abstract: To improve in the throughput of an exposure system, the setting time during a step change in the output of an amplifier is reduced by switching resistance between the amplifier and deflector, a glitch waveform generated during a step change in the output of a D/A converter at the preceding stage of the amplifier, is anticipated and is canceled out with a correction waveform, after the output of the D/A converter has settled, this output is sample held and the step change is interpolated at a smoothing circuit, the deflection area is increased by positioning a electrostatic deflector offset around the optical axis relative to another electrostatic deflector, the response speed of the main deflection is improved by adding auxiliary deflection coils of one or two turn, and the alignment time is reduced by combining the coordinate conversion in the wafer area and in the chip area.