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 charged-particle beam exposure device, an electrostatic lens (ML) comprises several (at least three) electrodes with rotational symmetry (EFR, EM, EFN) surrounding a particle beam path; the electrodes are arranged coaxially on a common optical axis representing the center of said particle beam path and are fed different electrostatic potentials through electric supplies. At least a subset of the electrodes (EM) form an electrode column realized as a series of electrodes of substantially equal shape arranged in consecutive order along the optical axis, wherein outer portions of said electrodes (EM) of the electrode column have outer portions (OR) of corresponding opposing surfaces (f1, f2) facing toward the next and previous electrodes, respectively. Preferably, the length of the electrode column is at least 4.1 times (3 times) the inner radius (ri1) of said surfaces (f1, f2).

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: In a charged-particle beam exposure device, an electrostatic lens (ML) comprises several (at least three) electrodes with rotational symmetry (EFR, EM, EFN) surrounding a particle beam path; the electrodes are arranged coaxially on a common optical axis representing the center of said particle beam path and are fed different electrostatic potentials through electric supplies. At least a subset of the electrodes (EM) form an electrode column realized as a series of electrodes of substantially equal shape arranged in consecutive order along the optical axis, wherein outer portions of said electrodes (EM) of the electrode column have outer portions (OR) of corresponding opposing surfaces (f1, f2) facing toward the next and previous electrodes, respectively. Preferably, the length of the electrode column is at least 4.1 times (3 times) the inner radius (ri1) of said surfaces (f1, f2).

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: 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 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-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: In addition to the three electrodes of a unipotential lens following a plasma chamber, an ion source for ion beam lithography or ion beam semiconductor or the like has a fourth electrode which is at the same potential as the second electrode and at a potential lower than the potential of the first and third electrodes The result is improved resolution.