Abstract: The invention provides a method for patterning a resist coated substrate carried on a stage, where the patterning utilizes a charged particle beam. The method comprises the steps of: moving the stage at a nominally constant velocity in a first direction; while the stage is moving, deflecting the charged particle beam in the first direction to compensate for the movement of the stage, the deflecting including: (a) compensating for an average velocity of the stage; and (b) separately compensating for the difference between an instantaneous position of the stage and a calculated position based on the average velocity. The separately compensating step uses a bandwidth of less than 10 MHz. The invention also provides a deflector control circuit for implementing the separate compensation functions.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for patterning a resist coated substrate carried on a stage, where the patterning utilizes a charged particle beam. The method comprises the steps of: moving the stage at a nominally constant velocity in a first direction; while the stage is moving, deflecting the charged particle beam in the first direction to compensate for the movement of the stage, the deflecting including: (a) compensating for an average velocity of the stage; and (b) separately compensating for the difference between an instantaneous position of the stage and a calculated position based on the average velocity. The separately compensating step uses a bandwidth of less than 10 MHz. The invention also provides a deflector control circuit for implementing the separate compensation functions.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for patterning a resist coated substrate carried on a stage, where the patterning utilizes a charged particle beam. The method comprises the steps of: moving the stage at a nominally constant velocity in a first direction; while the stage is moving, deflecting the charged particle beam in the first direction to compensate for the movement of the stage, the deflecting including: (a) compensating for an average velocity of the stage; and (b) separately compensating for the difference between an instantaneous position of the stage and a calculated position based on the average velocity. The separately compensating step uses a bandwidth of less than 10 MHz. The invention also provides a deflector control circuit for implementing the separate compensation functions.

Abstract: An electrostatic cassette assembly comprising, a cassette body having a central opening for receiving a wafer to be processed in a particle beam lithographic system, a charge plate with a top surface having a coating of dielectric (nonconductive) material or a plurality of nonconductive means, or both, on which the wafer is supported, means for forcing said charge plate and wafer into contact with stop means to hold the wafer rigidly in said cassette assembly, and means for applying a potential difference between the wafer and the charge plate to flatten said wafer by Coulombic force so that the wafer is held both mechanically and electrostatically in said cassette assembly. Means are also provided for insuring a good electrical contact with the wafer and for aligning the wafer in the cassette assembly.

Abstract: In particle beam optical instrumentation, an array of conventional sputter ion pump cells distributed in a ring shaped array about the circumference of the volume (optical column) to be pumped. An axially symmetrical, hollow, toroid magnetic circuit, formed by axially symmetrical magnets, either of the permanent type or of the electromagnetic type (or a combination of both), is used and the pumping action is outward from the central throughbore in the column so that the bore space could be occupied by other instrumentation. The magnetic circit may be used for particle beam focusing (optical lens) as well as for the pumping action by introducing magnetic gaps in either a series or parallel configuration.