Abstract: A template includes a base, and a protruding portion on the base and having a pattern on an upper surface thereof. A side wall of the protruding portion includes impurities at a surface of the side wall and inwardly of the side wall.

Abstract: A pattern forming method includes forming a guide pattern on a substrate including first and second regions and applying a directed self-assembly material including a first and a second polymer portion to the substrate. The first region is irradiated with an energy beam. The substrate is subjected to a heating process after irradiation and the directed self-assembly material in the second region separates into a first polymer phase and a second polymer phase. The directed self-assembly material is removed from the first region after irradiation.

Abstract: An electron beam irradiation device includes a stage, a main body unit, and a first mechanism. The main body unit includes a substrate, first members, and a first layer. The first members are arranged to be separated in a second direction intersecting a first direction and is provided at a first surface of the substrate opposing the stage. The first layer is provided between the stage and the first members and between the stage and the substrate. The first layer converts a light ray into an electron beam. The first mechanism is provided in the stage and moves the stage in the second direction. A distance of the movement is not less than a spacing between a center in the second direction of the first member and a center in the second direction of one other first member adjacent to the first member.

Abstract: A pattern forming method includes forming a guide pattern on a substrate including first and second regions and applying a directed self-assembly material including a first and a second polymer portion to the substrate. The first region is irradiated with an energy beam. The substrate is subjected to a heating process after irradiation and the directed self-assembly material in the second region separates into a first polymer phase and a second polymer phase. The directed self-assembly material is removed from the first region after irradiation.

Abstract: An electron beam irradiation device includes a stage, a main body unit, and a first mechanism. The main body unit includes a substrate, first members, and a first layer. The first members are arranged to be separated in a second direction intersecting a first direction and is provided at a first surface of the substrate opposing the stage. The first layer is provided between the stage and the first members and between the stage and the substrate. The first layer converts a light ray into an electron beam. The first mechanism is provided in the stage and moves the stage in the second direction. A distance of the movement is not less than a spacing between a center in the second direction of the first member and a center in the second direction of one other first member adjacent to the first member.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a substrate holding apparatus includes a main unit and a plurality of first support units. The main unit has a major surface. The main unit has a plate configuration. The first support units are disposed on the major surface. Each of the first support units includes a suction-holding unit capable of holding a substrate by suction. The suction-holding unit is movable along a first direction perpendicular to the major surface and a second direction parallel to the major surface.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a substrate holding apparatus includes a main unit and a plurality of first support units. The main unit has a major surface. The main unit has a plate configuration. The first support units are disposed on the major surface. Each of the first support units includes a suction-holding unit capable of holding a substrate by suction. The suction-holding unit is movable along a first direction perpendicular to the major surface and a second direction parallel to the major surface.

Abstract: This pattern inspection apparatus includes an inspection region information storage unit that stores an inspection region specified in a pattern region, a pattern surface height detection unit that detects a pattern surface height signal corresponding to a pattern surface height measurement position on the inspection sample, an autofocus mechanism that focuses on the inspection sample using the pattern surface height signal detected by the pattern surface height detection unit, a determination unit, and an autofocus mechanism control unit. When the determination unit determines that the pattern surface height measurement position is located within the inspection region, the autofocus mechanism control unit drives the autofocus mechanism, and the determination unit determines that the pattern surface height measurement position is not located within the inspection region, the autofocus mechanism control unit stops the autofocus mechanism.

Abstract: A method of operating a laser light source including a wavelength conversion device in which two wavelength laser beams are input to a nonlinear crystal to output a sum frequency wavelength, according to one embodiment includes inputting only one wavelength laser beam of the two input wavelength laser beams to the nonlinear crystal; measuring scattered light intensity of the one wavelength laser beam by a light sensitive sensor installed on an optical axis of the sum frequency wavelength output beam; and judging a damage state of the nonlinear crystal based on a measurement value obtained of the intensity measurement by the light sensitive sensor.

Abstract: A pattern inspecting method, comprising preparing a sample having a first and a second inspection regions and an imaging device having a plurality of pixels, scanning the first inspection region to a first direction using the imaging device to obtain a first measurement pattern representing at least parts of the first inspection region, scanning the second inspection region to the first direction using the imaging device to obtain a second measurement pattern representing at least parts of the second inspection region, comparing the first measurement pattern and the second measurement pattern with each other to determine presence or absence of a defect formed on the sample, and controlling a scanning condition for scanning a pattern of the second inspection region by the imaging device so as to keep the same with the scanning condition when the pattern of the first inspection region is scanned by the imaging device.

Abstract: A method of operating a laser light source including a wavelength conversion device in which two wavelength laser beams are input to a nonlinear crystal to output a sum frequency wavelength, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises: inputting only one wavelength laser beam of the two input wavelength laser beams to the nonlinear crystal; measuring scattered light intensity of the one wavelength laser beam by a light sensitive sensor installed on an optical axis of the sum frequency wavelength output beam; and judging a damage state of the nonlinear crystal based on a measurement value obtained by the intensity measurement by the light sensitive sensor.

Abstract: A pattern inspecting method, comprising preparing a sample having a first and a second inspection regions and an imaging device having a plurality of pixels, scanning the first inspection region to a first direction using the imaging device to obtain a first measurement pattern representing at least parts of the first inspection region, scanning the second inspection region to the first direction using the imaging device to obtain a second measurement pattern representing at least parts of the second inspection region, comparing the first measurement pattern and the second measurement pattern with each other to determine presence or absence of a defect formed on the sample, and controlling a scanning condition for scanning a pattern of the second inspection region by the imaging device so as to keep the same with the scanning condition when the pattern of the first inspection region is scanned by the imaging device.

Abstract: A pattern lithography system for lithographing a pattern with reference to a pattern data by deflecting an electron beam includes a controller, an extracting unit, a dividing unit, and an expansion unit. The controller analyzes the pattern data and determines stripes of the pattern to be successively lithographed. The extracting unit extracts parts of the pattern data corresponding to stripes of the pattern in response to commands from the controller and sends the data to the dividing unit. The dividing unit divides the part of the pattern data into a plurality of sub-patterns. The sub-patterns are sized smaller than a minimum deflection range of the electron beam. The expanding unit expands the sub-patterns in accordance with a command from the controller to produce stripe data for driving a lithographing unit to lithograph the stripe. Stripes may have at least one sub-pattern in common such that multiple lithography is performed.

Abstract: A charged beam lithography system includes a charged particle gun for generating charged beams, a main deflecting system and a sub-deflecting system for deflecting the charged beams generated by the charged particle gun, and a control computer. The charged beam lithography system is designed to cause the surface of a substrate to be irradiated with the charged beams from the charged particle gun while continuously moving a stage, to write a desired pattern for each of stripes defined by the maximum deflection widths of the main deflecting system and the sub-deflecting system. The charged beam lithography system further comprises: a real time proximity effect correcting circuit for calculating an optimum dosage for each of the stripes by correcting the dosage of the electron beams in view of the influence of the proximity effect; and a cash memory for storing the optimum dosage data for at least two of the stripes.

Abstract: A pattern forming apparatus comprising a sample base for positioning a sample on the base and moving a drawing position of the sample, a position measuring unit for measuring a position of the sample base, a correcting unit for mutually independently correcting drawing positions at those respective areas into which a whole drawing section of the sample is divided, the drawing position being calculated by the position measuring unit at the respective area, and a drawing unit for drawing a pattern on the sample on the basis of the position of the sample base measured by the position measuring unit and drawing position of the respective area corrected by the correcting unit.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a charged particle exposure system which can prevent the shift of an orbit of an electron beam in the vicinity of a periphery of a substrate when drawing a pattern onto the substrate, thereby making it possible to draw the pattern with high accuracy.

Abstract: The present invention provides a charged beam drawing method comprising a first step of setting a stripe field independent of drawing pattern definition data and of determining the drawing pattern definition data which belongs to the stripe field set, a second step of setting a sub-field independent of the drawing pattern definition data and of determining the drawing pattern definition data which belongs to the sub-field, among the drawing pattern definition data determined, a third step of drawing the drawing pattern definition data which belongs to the sub-field onto an object to be subjected to drawing, a fourth step of shifting a position of the stripe field by a first predetermined value, and of shifting a position of the sub-field by a second predetermined value, and a fifth step of repeating the first to fourth steps for at least two times.

Abstract: An electron beam lithography apparatus is provided for drawing a exposure pattern on a sample by dividing the exposure pattern into a plurality of pattern elements and individually directing the electron beam to the sample at the pattern element. The size of the pattern element is adjusted in accordance with a gradient of a spatial variation of a back scattering dose. By doing so, it is possible to suppress distortion at the exposure area of one shot and to suppress an uneven edge of an exposure area row. If the size of the pattern element is made uniformly smaller, the drawing throughput is markedly lowered. The sizes of the pattern element varies in accordance with the gradient of a spatial variation of the back scattering dose and it is, therefore, possible to suppress a fall in the drawing throughput.