Abstract: The aberrations of a charged particle beam optical system in a lithography machine are measured. Control amounts to control optical elements included in the charged particle beam optical system are changed, the variations of the aberrations are obtained by executing the aberration measuring step, and the aberration sensitivities of the control amounts are obtained. The control amounts are decided on the basis of the aberrations of the charged particle beam optical system and the aberration sensitivities of the control amounts to set the aberrations of the charged particle beam optical system to target aberrations.

Abstract: In order to measure an aberration of a charged particle beam optical system, an aberration measuring machine includes a charged particle generating unit adapted to make a plurality of charged particle beams strike the object plane of the charged particle beam optical system at different incident angles, and a detecting unit adapted to detect a position where the plurality of charged particle beams form images on the image surface of the charged particle beam optical system. The charged particle generating unit includes electron optical systems corresponding to the charged particle beams and an aperture stop to make the charged particle beams corresponding to pupil positions of the electron optical systems incident on the object plane at different incident angles.

Abstract: The dimension of the main field as a unit region for exposure is set to an integral submultiple of the arrangement pitch of the LSI to be exposed, by the control computer 62, and the exposure data stored in the form associated with electron beams from a data generation circuit 64 is limited to one-chip data alone in units of a stripe. This data is repeatedly read out to write the stripe. Further, a storage circuit 66 is provided to store the exposure data by means of a double buffer memory unit for each electron beam. While LSI is written according to one of the buffers, the next exposure stripe data is prepared on the other buffer, thereby bringing about a substantial reduction in the required speed of the exposure data generation circuit.

Abstract: Electron beam writing equipment has an electron source and an electron optics system for scanning an electron beam emitted from the electron source on a sample via deflection means having at least two different deflection speeds. An objective lens is used to form a desired pattern on the sample The electron beam is moved by high speed scanning with the deflection means to repeat formation of a patterned beam. The electron beam is moved on the mark for beam correction by low speed scanning with the deflection means in synchronization with one cycle of the repetition. The position or the deflection distance of the electron beam or blanking time is corrected using detectors for back scattered or secondary electrons.

Abstract: A technology capable of reducing the influence of the noise overlapped in a long transmission line when accurately measuring weak beam current in an electron beam writing system and capable of accurately and efficiently measuring weak beam current in a beam writing system using multiple beams is provided. With using a switch for connecting and disconnecting an electron beam detecting device and a detected signal line, the electron beam detecting device is disconnected from the detected signal line to accumulate the detected signals in the electron beam detecting device during the beam current measurement. Simultaneously with the finish of the measurement, the electron beam detecting device and the detected signal line are connected to measure the accumulated signals. Also, in order to simultaneously perform the measurement method, a plurality of electron beam detecting devices and switches are used to simultaneously measure a plurality of electron beams with high accuracy.

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure apparatus has a beam shaping optical system which forms an image of a charged particle source that emits charged particle beams, an aperture array and electrostatic lens which form a plurality of images of the charged particle source from the image of the charged particle source, a reduction electron optical system which reduces and projects the plurality of images of the charged particle source onto a wafer, and the first stigmator which generates astigmatism when the beam shaping optical system forms the image of the charged particle source in order to correct astigmatism generated in the reduction electron optical system. A charged particle beam exposure method of exposing a substrate by scanning with charged particle beams includes an adjustment step of making the size in the scanning direction of charged particle beams on the substrate smaller than the size in a direction perpendicular to the direction.

Abstract: An electron gun is composed of a hemispherical cathode (1) and a second bias electrode (8) having apertures (9, 7, 11) along an optical axis of an electron beam fired from the electron gun, a first bias electrode (6) and an anode (10), arranged in that order, as well as a controller for variably controlling an electric potential applied to the first and second bias electrodes. The controller, for example, holds the sum of the electric potentials of the first and second bias electrodes relative to the cathode (1) substantially constant. Further, by adding one or more third bias electrode(s) (20) between the first and second bias electrodes (6, 8) as necessary, the intensity of the electron beam discharged from the high-intensity, high-emittance electron gun can be adjusted without affecting the current density angular distribution.

Abstract: A multi-electron beam exposure method and apparatus, wherein electron beams are applied to a sample surface mounted on a traveling sample stage to perform repeated exposure of chip patterns. An exposure region of the sample surface is partitioned into multiple stripe regions having a width in an x-axis direction, and each of the multiple stripe regions is further partitioned into multiple main fields having a width in a y-axis direction. At least one of the widths of the main fields in the x- and y-axis directions is set to a value, and exposure pattern data for one chip based on the partitioned main fields is stored as a unit. The stored exposure pattern data is readout a number of times corresponding to the number of chips repeatedly, and each electron beam provides repeated exposure of same regions of the chips.

Abstract: In an electron-beam lithography system for performing a pattern drawing by causing electron beams to be switched ON/OFF at a high speed in an exposure/non-exposure portion, non-straight line property of beam shot dosage relative to beam ON time worsens dimension accuracy of the drawing pattern formed on a sample. In order to avoid this drawback, the characteristic of the beam shot dosage relative to the beam ON time is measured in advance, thereby creating correction data for the beam ON time beforehand. Then, at the time of performing the pattern drawing, the beam ON time is corrected based on the correction data so that desired beam shot dosage becomes acquirable.

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate using a plurality of charged particle beams includes a first measurement member for making the plurality of charged particle beams come incident and measuring a total current value of the charged particle beams. A second measurement member makes the plurality of charged particle beams come incident and multiplies electrons of each of the incident charged particle beams, thereby measuring a relative value of a current of each of the charged particle beams.

Abstract: This invention provides a multielectron gun which generates a plurality of electron beams having uniform characteristics. A multielectron gun (2) is formed of a plurality of electron guns (2a-2c). The electron gun (2a) has, in addition to an electron source (21a), Wehnelt electrode (22a), and anode electrode (23), a shield electrode (24) between the Wehnelt electrode (22a) and anode electrode (23). The shield electrode reduces field interference among the electron guns.

Abstract: An electron beam exposure apparatus which exposes a wafer (118) by using a plurality of electron beams corrects the positional error of the electron beams by using multi-deflector arrays (105, 106) capable of independently deflecting the positions of the electron beams, and pattern data to be projected onto the wafer (118). More specifically, when each of the electron beams is deflected to a predetermined exposure position on the basis of the pattern data, a static positional error independent of the deflection position is corrected by the multi-deflector arrays (105, 106), and a dynamic positional error depending on the deflection position is corrected on the basis of the pattern data.

Abstract: Electron beam writing equipment has an electron source and an electron optics system for scanning an electron beam emitted from the electron source on a sample via deflection means having at least two different deflection speeds. An objective lens is used to form a desired pattern on the sample The electron beam is moved by high speed scanning with the deflection means to repeat formation of a patterned beam. The electron beam is moved on the mark for beam correction by low speed scanning with the deflection means in synchronization with one cycle of the repetition. The position or the deflection distance of the electron beam or blanking time is corrected using detectors for back scattered or secondary electrons.

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate using a plurality of charged particle beams comprises a first measurement member for making the plurality of charged particle beams come incident and measuring a total current value of the charged particle beams, and a second measurement member for making the plurality of charged particle beams come incident and multiplying electrons of each of the incident charged particle beams, thereby measuring a relative value of a current of each of the charged particle beams.

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure apparatus has a beam shaping optical system which forms an image of a charged particle source that emits charged particle beams, an aperture array and electrostatic lens which form a plurality of images of the charged particle source from the image of the charged particle source, a reduction electron optical system which reduces and projects the plurality of images of the charged particle source onto a wafer, and the first stigmator which generates astigmatism when the beam shaping optical system forms the image of the charged particle source in order to correct astigmatism generated in the reduction electron optical system. A charged particle beam exposure method of exposing a substrate by scanning with charged particle beams includes an adjustment step of making the size in the scanning direction of charged particle beams on the substrate smaller than the size in a direction perpendicular to the direction.

Abstract: There is provided an electron beam exposure technique which permits optical adjustment in an electron optics system using a doublet lens necessary for large field projection. Electron beam exposure equipment having a part forming one image by at least two electromagnetic lenses, has means measuring the position of an electron beam near an image plane with changing excitation of at least two lenses at the same time; and control means feeding back the measured result to aligners or the intensity of the lenses.

Abstract: An electron gun is composed of a hemispherical cathode (1) and a second bias electrode (8) having apertures (9, 7, 11) along an optical axis of an electron beam fired from the electron gun, a first bias electrode (6) and an anode (10), arranged in that order, as well as a controller for variably controlling an electric potential applied to the first and second bias electrodes. The controller, for example, holds the sum of the electric potentials of the first and second bias electrodes relative to the cathode (1) substantially constant. Further, by adding one or more third bias electrode(s) (20) between the first and second bias electrodes (6, 8) as necessary, the intensity of the electron beam discharged from the high-intensity, high-emittance electron gun can be adjusted without affecting the current density angular distribution.

Abstract: Electron beam writing equipment has an electron source and an electron optics system for scanning an electron beam emitted from the electron source on a sample via deflection means having at least two different deflection speeds. An objective lens is used to form a desired pattern on the sample. The electron beam is moved by high speed scanning with the deflection means to repeat formation of a patterned beam. The electron beam is moved on the mark for beam correction by low speed scanning with the deflection means in synchronization with one cycle of the repetition. The position or the deflection distance of the electron beam or blanking time is corrected using detectors for back scattered or secondary electrons.

Abstract: An electron gun includes a cathode portion (1) which emits electrons, an anode portion (3) which accelerates the emission electrons, a bias portion (2) which is arranged between the cathode portion and anode portion and controls trajectories of the emission electrons, a shielding portion (12) which is arranged below the anode portion and shields some of the emission electrons, and a cooling portion (14) which cools the shielding portion.

Abstract: An electron beam exposure apparatus which exposes a wafer (118) by using a plurality of electron beams corrects the positional error of the electron beams by using multi-deflector arrays (105, 106) capable of independently deflecting the positions of the electron beams, and pattern data to be projected onto the wafer (118). More specifically, when each of the electron beams is deflected to a predetermined exposure position on the basis of the pattern data, a static positional error independent of the deflection position is corrected by the multi-deflector arrays (105, 106), and a dynamic positional error depending on the deflection position is corrected on the basis of the pattern data.