Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure method includes the steps of creating dot pattern data indicative of a pattern to be exposed, storing the dot pattern data in a first storage device having a first access speed, transferring the dot pattern data from the first storage device to a second storage device having a second, higher access speed, reading the dot pattern data out from the second storage device, and producing a plurality of charged particle beams in response to the dot pattern data read out from the second storage device by means of a blanking aperture array, wherein the blanking aperture array includes a plurality of apertures each causing turning-on and turning-off of a changed particle beam pertinent to the aperture in response to the dot pattern data.

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure method includes the steps of creating dot pattern data indicative of a pattern to be exposed, storing the dot pattern data in a first storage device having a first access speed, transferring the dot pattern data from the first storage device to a second storage device having a second, higher access speed, reading the dot pattern data out from the second storage device, and producing a plurality of charged particle beams in response to the dot pattern data read out from the second storage device by means of a blanking aperture array, wherein the blanking aperture array includes a plurality of apertures each causing turning-on and turning-off of a changed particle beam pertinent to the aperture in response to the dot pattern data.

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure method including the steps of creating dot pattern data indicative of a pattern to be exposed, storing the dot indicative of a pattern to be exposed, storing the dot pattern data in a first storage device having a first access speed, transferring the dot pattern data from the first storage device to a second storage device having a second, higher access speed, reading the dot pattern data out from the second storage device; and producing a plurality of charged particle beams in response to the dot pattern data read out from the second storage device by means of a blanking aperture array. The blanking aperture array includes a plurality of apertures each causing turning-on and turning-off of a changed particle beam pertinent to the aperture in response to the dot pattern data.

Abstract: A method for exposing an exposure pattern on an object by a charged particle beam, including the steps of: shaping a charged particle beam into a plurality of charged particle beam elements in response to first bitmap data indicative of an exposure pattern, such that the plurality of charged particle beam elements are selectively turned off in response to the first bitmap data; focusing the charged particle beam elements upon a surface of an object; and scanning the surface of the object by the charged particle beam elements; the step of shaping including the steps of: expanding pattern data of said exposure pattern into second bitmap data having a resolution of n times (n.gtoreq.2) as large as, and m times (m.gtoreq.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an exposure method of a multi-beam type in which a stage mounting a sample to be exposed is continuously moved in a first direction, and charged-particle beams are controlled so as to form a desired beam shape as a whole, and in which a pattern is formed on the sample by deflecting the charged-particle beams by a main deflector and a sub deflector. Patterns to be drawn are divided into pattern data on a cell stripe basis which corresponds to an area which can be exposed when the sub deflector scans the charged-particle beams one time. The pattern data on the cell stripe basis is stored into a memory. Then, position data indicative of cell stripes is stored, in an exposure sequence, together with address information concerning the memory in which the pattern data is stored. The deflection amount data relating to the main deflector and the sub deflector is calculated from the position data. Patterns are drawn on the wafer by using the pattern data and the deflection amount data.

Abstract: Before figure data are expanded into a bitmap, a checksum is calculated in unit of bitmap data corresponding to a cell stripe of scanning over which continuous exposure is possible. When the checksum is calculated after expanding the data into the bitmap, the interim calculation result of refocus values is used. In exposure, exposing k number of sub rectangular areas by repeating a sub scanning k number of times, jumping a deflection by a main deflector toward an center of remaining sub rectangular areas whose number is (p-k) inside a main rectangular areas and exposing remained (p-k) number of the sub rectangular areas by repeating the sub scanning (p-k) times after the jumping is settled. In an amplifier & low pass filter for supplying a drive voltage to a sub deflector, the cutoff frequency is lowed during flyback in a sawtooth waveform without changing an amplification factor.

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure method including steps of creating dot pattern data indicative of a pattern to be exposed, storing the dot pattern data in a first storage device having a first access speed, transferring the dot pattern data from the first storage device to a second storage device having a second, higher access speed, reading the dot pattern data out from the second storage device, and producing a plurality of charged particle beams in response to the dot pattern data read out from the second storage device by means of a blanking aperture array. The blanking aperture array includes a plurality of apertures each causing turning-on and turning-off of a changed particle beam pertinent to the aperture in response to the dot pattern data.

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: A charged particle beam exposure method including the steps of creating dot pattern data indicative of a pattern to be exposed, storing the dot indicative of a pattern to be exposed, storing the dot pattern data in a first storage device having a first access speed, transferring the dot pattern data from the first storage device to a second storage device having a second, higher access speed, reading the dot pattern data out from the second storage device; and producing a plurality of charged particle beams in response to the dot pattern data read out from the second storage device by means of a blanking aperture array. The blanking aperture array includes a plurality of apertures each causing turning-on and turning-off of a changed particle beam pertinent to the aperture in response to the dot pattern data.

Abstract: Before figure data are expanded into a bitmap, a checksum is calculated in unit of bitmap data corresponding to a cell stripe of scanning over which continuous exposure is possible. When the checksum is calculated after expanding the data into the bitmap, the interim calculation result of refocus values is used. In exposure, exposing k number of sub rectangular areas by repeating a sub scanning k number of times, jumping a deflection by a main deflector toward an center of remaining sub rectangular areas whose number is (p-k) inside a main rectangular areas and exposing remained (p-k) number of the sub rectangular areas by repeating the sub scanning (p-k) times after the jumping is settled. In an amplifier & low pass filter for supplying a drive voltage to a sub deflector, the cutoff frequency is lowed during flyback in a sawtooth waveform without changing an amplification factor.

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: 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.

Abstract: To improve 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 a 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 cancelled 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 with a smoothing circuit. The deflection area is increased by positioning an electrostatic deflector offset around the optical axis relative to another electrostatic deflector, and the response speed of the main deflection is improved by adding auxiliary deflection coils of one or two turns. The alignment time is reduced by combining the coordinate conversion in the wafer area and in the chip area.

Abstract: An electron-beam exposure system includes an astigmatic compensation circuit that increases a voltage applied across a pair of electrodes forming an electrostatic sub-deflector and simultaneously decreases a voltage applied across another pair of electrodes forming the same electrostatic sub-deflector with a same magnitude as in the case of increasing the voltage, wherein the magnitude of the voltage change is changed in response to the deflection of the electron-beam caused by a main deflector.

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure method includes the steps of creating dot pattern data indicative of a pattern to be exposed, storing the dot pattern data in a first storage device having a first access speed, transferring the dot pattern data from the first storage device to a second storage device having a second, higher access speed, reading the dot pattern data out from the second storage device, and producing a plurality of charged particle beams in response to the dot pattern data read out from the second storage device by means of a blanking aperture array, wherein the blanking aperture array includes a plurality of apertures each causing turning-on and turning-off of a changed particle beam pertinent to the aperture in response to the dot pattern data.

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure method which irradiates a charged particle beam on a substrate placed on a stage while continuously moving the stage and deflecting the charged particle beam by main deflector means and sub deflector means. The charged particle beam exposure method includes the steps of calculating stage moving information which describes an optimum expected locus of a stage moving speed with respect to a frame region based on a stage moving speed that enables exposure within each cell region within the frame region, by defining the frame region as being made up of a plurality of cell regions arranged in a moving direction of the stage within a drawable range in which the charged particle beam can be deflected by the main deflector means, and controlling a deflected position of the charged particle beam caused by the main deflector means by variably controlling the stage moving speed based on said stage moving information.

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 a deflector, a glitch waveform generated during a step change in the output or 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.

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure method includes the steps of creating dot pattern data indicative of a pattern to be exposed, storing the dot pattern data in a first storage device having a first access speed, transferring the dot pattern data from the first storage device to a second storage having a second, higher access speed, reading the dot pattern data out from the second storage device, and producing a plurality of charged particle beams in response to the dot pattern data read out from the second storage device by means of a blanking aperture array, wherein the blanking aperture array includes a plurality of apertures each causing turning-on and turning-off of a changed particle beam pertinent to the aperture in response to the dot pattern data.

Abstract: An electron-beam exposure system includes an astigmatic compensation circuit that increases a voltage applied across a pair of electrodes forming an electrostatic sub-deflector and simultaneously decreases a voltage applied across another pair of electrodes forming the same electrostatic sub-deflector with a same magnitude as in the case of increasing the voltage, wherein the magnitude of the voltage change is changed in response to the deflection of the electron-beam caused by a main deflector.

Abstract: A charged particle exposure system uses a method for accurately and efficiently generating a required pattern having an optional angle .theta.. The method uses a reference isosceles right triangle. According to the reference triangle, a plurality of rectangular beams are formed. Each of the rectangular beams is multiplied by tan .theta. of the optional angle .theta., thereby preparing data of beams necessary for forming the required pattern.