Abstract: In a particle-optical projection system a pattern is imaged onto a target by means of energetic electrically charged particles. The pattern is represented in a patterned beam of said charged particles emerging from the object plane through at least one cross-over; it is imaged into an image with a given size and distortion. To compensate for the Z-deviation of the image position from the actual positioning of the target (Z denotes an axial coordinate substantially parallel to the optical axis), without changing the size of the image, the system includes a position detector for measuring the Z-position of several locations of the target, and a controller for calculating modifications of selected lens parameters of the final particle-optical lens and controlling said lens parameters according to said modifications.

Abstract: In a particle-optical projection system a pattern is imaged onto a target by means of energetic electrically charged particles. The pattern is represented in a patterned beam of said charged particles emerging from the object plane through at least one cross-over; it is imaged into an image with a given size and distortion. To compensate for the Z-deviation of the image position from the actual positioning of the target (Z denotes an axial coordinate substantially parallel to the optical axis), without changing the size of the image, the system includes a position detector for measuring the Z-position of several locations of the target, and a controller for calculating modifications of selected lens parameters of the final particle-optical lens and controlling said lens parameters according to said modifications.

Abstract: In a pattern-definition device (102) for use in a particle-beam exposure apparatus, a beam of electrically charged particles is patterned through a plurality of apertures. The device comprises at least one deflector array means having a plurality of openings surrounding the beamlets, wherein for each opening are provided at least two deflecting electrodes to which different electrostatic potentials are appliable, thus correcting the path of the beamlet(s) passing through the respective opening according to a desired path through the device (102). According to a partition of the plurality of apertures into a set of subfields (Aij), the deflecting electrodes belonging to the same subfield (Aij) have common electric supplies. Thus, the electrostatic potentials of the deflecting electrodes belonging to the same subfield (Aij) are constant or linearly interpolated between basic potentials fed at basic points (Pij) of the respective subfield.

Abstract: In a particle-optical projection system (32) a pattern (B) is imaged onto a target (tp) by means of energetic electrically charged particles. The pattern is represented in a patterned beam (pb) of said charged particles emerging from the object plane through at least one cross-over (c); it is imaged into an image (S) with a given size and distortion. To compensate for the Z-deviation of the image (S) position from the actual positioning of the target (tp) (Z denotes an axial coordinate substantially parallel to the optical axis cx), without changing the size of the image (S), the system comprises a position detection means (ZD) for measuring the Z-position of several locations of the target (tp), a control means (33) for calculating modifications (cr) of selected lens parameters of the final particle-optical lens (L2) and controlling said lens parameters according to said modifications.

Abstract: In a pattern-definition device (102) for use in a particle-beam exposure apparatus, a beam of electrically charged particles is patterned through a plurality of apertures. The device comprises at least one deflector array means having a plurality of openings surrounding the beamlets, wherein for each opening are provided at least two deflecting electrodes to which different electrostatic potentials are appliable, thus correcting the path of the beamlet(s) passing through the respective opening according to a desired path through the device (102). According to a partition of the plurality of apertures into a set of subfields (Aij), the deflecting electrodes belonging to the same subfield (Aij) have common electric supplies. Thus, the electrostatic potentials of the deflecting electrodes belonging to the same subfield (Aij) are constant or linearly interpolated between basic potentials fed at basic points (Pij) of the respective subfield.

Abstract: A device (102) for defining a pattern, for use in a particle-beam exposure apparatus (100), said device adapted to be irradiated with a beam (lb,pb) of electrically charged particles and let pass the beam only through a plurality of apertures, comprises an aperture array means (203) and a blanking means (202). The aperture array means (203) has a plurality of apertures (21,230) of identical shape defining the shape of beamlets (bm). The blanking means (202) serves to switch off the passage of selected beamlets; it has a plurality of openings (220), each corresponding to a respective aperture (230) of the aperture array means (203) and being provided with a deflection means (221) controllable to deflect particles radiated through the opening off their path (p1) to an absorbing surface within said exposure apparatus (100). The apertures (21) are arranged on the blanking and aperture array means (202,203) within a pattern definition field (pf) being composed of a plurality of staggered lines (p1) of apertures.

Abstract: In a particle projection lithography system, an alignment system is used to determine alignment parameters to measure the position and shape of an optical image of a pattern of structures formed in a mask and imaged onto a target by means of a broad particle beam, by means of an apparatus with a plurality of alignment marks adapted to produce secondary radiation upon irradiation with radiation of said particle beam. In order to allow for a variation of the alignment parameters along the optical axis, the alignment marks are positioned outside the aperture of the alignment system for the part of the beam that generates said optical image, arranged at positions to coincide with particle reference beams projected through reference beam forming structures provided on the mask while said optical image is projected onto the target, and situated on at least two different levels over the target as seen along the directions of the respective reference beams.

Abstract: A device (102) for defining a pattern, for use in a particle-beam exposure apparatus (100), said device adapted to be irradiated with a beam (lb,pb) of electrically charged particles and let pass the beam only through a plurality of apertures, comprises an aperture array means (203) and a blanking means (202). The aperture array means (203) has a plurality of apertures (21,230) of identical shape defining the shape of beamlets (bm). The blanking means (202) serves to switch off the passage of selected beamlets; it has a plurality of openings (220), each corresponding to a respective aperture (230) of the aperture array means (203) and being provided with a deflection means (221) controllable to deflect particles radiated through the opening off their path (p1) to an absorbing surface within said exposure apparatus (100). The apertures (21) are arranged on the blanking and aperture array means (202,203) within a pattern definition field (pf) being composed of a plurality of staggered lines (p1) of apertures.

Abstract: For producing an exposure pattern on a resist material layer on a substrate, a mask having a pattern of transparent structures is illuminated with a beam of energetic radiation and the structure pattern is imaged onto the substrate by means of the structured beam within a pattern transfer system such as an ion-beam lithography system. The pattern image produced on the substrate is shifted laterally with respect to the substrate between a plurality of predetermined shift positions and with each shift position the substrate is irradiated for a predetermined time, wherein the width of lateral displacements is smaller than the minimum feature size of the exposure pattern, the blur as determined by the pattern transfer system is not smaller than the width of lateral displacements, and the dimension and/or direction of the structure patterns are incongruent with respect to the lateral displacements.

Abstract: In a masked lithography system (100) a mask (102) with a mask pattern is imaged onto a target (104) by means of a lithography beam (101, 103). For controlling image pattern distortions, a plurality of metrology structures are provided in the mask and are imaged onto a metrology means (150). There, the positions of images of the metrology structures are measured; these positions are compared with respective nominal positions, and a plurality of radiation intensities, each associated to a respective location on the mask, are calculated in a control unit (200). The locations on the mask are heated with the respective radiation intensities by means of a radiation projector means with a radiation source (300) positioned outside the lithography beam path; the heating of the mask thus effected generates distortions in the mask pattern due to local thermal expansion. The distortion control procedure may be iterated in a feedback loop.

Abstract: In a particle projection lithography system, an alignment system is used to determine alignment parameters to measure the position and shape of an optical image of a pattern of structures formed in a mask and imaged onto a target by means of a broad particle beam, by means of an apparatus with a plurality of alignment marks adapted to produce secondary radiation upon irradiation with radiation of said particle beam. In order to allow for a variation of the alignment parameters along the optical axis, the alignment marks are positioned outside the aperture of the alignment system for the part of the beam that generates said optical image, arranged at positions to coincide with particle reference beams projected through reference beam forming structures provided on the mask while said optical image is projected onto the target, and situated on at least two different levels over the target as seen along the directions of the respective reference beams.

Abstract: In a particle-optical imaging lithography system, an illuminating system comprising a particle source and a first electrostatic lens arrangement produces a particle beam which penetrates a mask foil provided with an orifice structure positioned in the particle beam path. This structure is imaged on a substrate plane by a projection system comprising a second electrostatic lens arrangement. The first and second lens arrangements each comprise, on their respective sides facing the mask holding device, at least one pre- and post-mask electrode, respectively. By applying different electrostatic potentials to the pre- and post-mask electrodes and to the mask foil, the mask foil and the pre-mask electrode form a grid lens with negative refracting power, and the mask foil and the post-mask electrode also form a grid lens with negative refracting power.

Abstract: A particle beam lithography method for imaging a structure pattern onto one or more fields on a substrate (11) by means of electrically charged particles, e.g. ions, in which a particle beam is shaped into a desired beam pattern by means of a mask positioned in the particle beam, converted into a beam pattern by apertures in the mask and projected onto the substrate to form an image of the mask apertures. According to the invention, a plurality of masks is positioned on one mask carrier, thus offering a plurality of aperture patterns which are used for producing structure patterns to be imaged onto respective areas (S) of the substrate. The patterns thus imaged, as a whole, combine together to form e.g. the total pattern of a die-field (D) of the substrate (11).

Abstract: Electrostatic lens for focussing the beams of charged particles, more particularly of ions, which have electrodes being designed as an electric conductor with a ring-shaped section, the inner edge of which is essentially circular, whereas at least one of the electrodes is composed of sector areas (4) succeeding one another along the periphery of an electrode, whereas each sector area is covering one predetermined angle area of the periphery, the sector areas are electrically connected to one another and the sector areas are linked to the holding device via at least one adjusting element per sector area the position of the sector areas may be adjusted irrespective of the other sector areas by means of the adjusting elements during operation of the electrostatic lens. The sector areas may be mechanically separated or extend from one thickness minimum of an electrode cross-section with periodically varying thickness to the next one.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing a structured mask for use in reproducing structures of that mask on an object with the aid of electromagnetic or particulate radiation, in particular for ion beam lithography. A flat smooth substrate of more than 20 .mu.m in thickness is selected and a thin diaphragm is produced from that substrate by etching one of the sections removed from the edging to a depth of c. 0.5-20 .mu.m, the tensile stress within the diaphragm being greater than 5 MPa. Lithographic structures are then formed on a central region of the diaphragm with a tensile stress of more than 5 MPa; apertures are etched into the diaphragm to form the mask structures and the effective thickness inside a diaphragm region substantially enclosing the mask structures is reduced, causing the central region containing the structures to be joined to the substrate edging elastically in such a way that the mean tensile stress within this central region is reduced to below 5 MPa.

Abstract: An arrangement for shadow-casting lithography by focusing electrically charged particles for the purpose of imaging structures of a mask on a substrate disposed immediately to the rear thereof, comprising a particle source (2) and an extraction system (3) which produces a divergent particle beam issuing from a substantially point-shaped virtual source, and comprising a lens (6) for focusing the divergent particle beam which comprises an electrode arrangement (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h) which includes at least one electrostatic collector lens (6a to 6f in conjunction with an electrostatic diverging lens (6g, 6h) in order to be able to compensate lens errors of the collector lens in a purposeful manner with respect to lens errors of the diverging lens and to render possible a predeterminable change in the imaging scale.

Abstract: A particle beam, in particular in ionic on the reproduction system, preferably for lithographic purposes, has a particle source, in particular an ion source for reproducing on a wafer a structure designed in a masking foil as one or several transparent spots, in particular openings, through at least two electrostatic lenses arranged upstream of the wafer. One of the lenses is a grating lens constituted by one or two tubular electrodes and by a perforated plate arranged in the path of the beam perpendicularly to the optical axis. The plate is formed by a masking foil which forms the central or first electrode of the granting lens, in the direction of propagation of the beam.

Abstract: An arrangement for masked beam lithography by means of electrically charged particles for the imaging of structures of a mask on a substrate arranged behind it, with a substantially punctiform particle source (Q) and an extraction system (Ex) for a specific type of charged particles which leave the source (Q) in the form of a divergent particle beam, and with an electrode arrangement (B, B', El.sub.1, El.sub.2, E.sub.3, . . . El.sub.n) for concentrating the divergent particle beam into a particle beam which is at least approximately parallel, by means of which an electrostatic acceleration field (E) is generated, the potential (U) of which in the beam direction has a constant gradient at least in parts and perpendicular to the beam direction is substantially constant at least within the beam cross-section. The electrode arrangement can be formed for example by a plurality of coaxial ring electrodes (El.sub.1, El.sub.2, El.sub.3, . . . El.sub.

Abstract: A charged particle, in particular ion projector system, has a mask arranged in the path of the charged particle beam and provided with transparent spots, in particular openings, arranged asymmetrically to the optical axis, which are reproduced on a wafer by means of lenses arranged in the path of the charged particle beam. The charged particle beam has at least one cross-over (crosses the optical axis at least once) between the mask and the wafer. Charged particles with an opposite charge to the charge of the reproduction particles are supplied into the path of the reproduction charged particle beam in a defined area located between the mask and the wafer. The limits that define said area are selected in such a way that the absolute value of the integral effect of the space charge on the particles that reproduce the mask structures is as high upstream of said area (seen in the direction of radiation) as the absolute value of the integral effect of the space charge downstream of said area.

Abstract: A system for ion-beam imaging of a structure of a mask on a wafer has a two-lens set between the mask and the wafer which is made up of a preferably accelerating Einzel lens proximal to the mask and an asymmetric accelerating Einzel proximal to the wafer.