Abstract: A charged particle beam drawing apparatus draws a plurality of cut patterns on a plurality of first linear patterns arranged to extend in a first direction and align themselves at a predetermined pitch P in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The plurality of cut patterns are drawn so that an interval Ai in the second direction between the centers of each pair of cut patterns adjacent to each other in the second direction (i is a number which specifies the pair) satisfies a relation: Ai=m1X (m1=1, 2, 3, . . . ) where X is a dimension defined by the pitch P.

Abstract: The present invention provides a determination method of determining exposure conditions of an exposure apparatus including an illumination optical system which illuminates a mask, and a projection optical system which projects a pattern of the mask onto a substrate, the method including a step of setting an illumination parameter for a light intensity distribution formed on a pupil plane of the illumination optical system, and an aberration parameter for an aberration of the projection optical system, and a step of determining a value of the illumination parameter and a value of the aberration parameter so that an image performance of an optical image of the pattern of the mask satisfies an evaluation criterion set for a target pattern to be formed on an image plane of the projection optical system.

Abstract: A recording medium stores a program for causing a computer to execute a method of calculating a resist pattern.

Abstract: Provided is a method for forming a pattern on a layer on a substrate. The method includes forming a line-and-space pattern on the layer; coating a resist on the line-and-space pattern and filling the resist in a space portion of the line-and-space pattern; exposing a pattern to the resist, developing the exposed resist, and forming a resist pattern on the space portion; and forming a pattern on the layer using a pattern which is a combination of a line portion of the line-and-space pattern and the resist pattern as a mask.

Abstract: The present invention provides an exposure method including the steps of generating a plurality of element light sources formed on a pupil plane of an illumination optical system, setting a plurality of aberration states which are expected to exist in a projection optical system, calculating, for each of all combinations of the plurality of aberration states and the plurality of element light sources, an optical image of a pattern of a mask, which is formed in an evaluation area when one aberration state among the plurality of aberration states is produced in the projection optical system, and the pattern of the mask is illuminated with one element light source among the plurality of element light sources, determining, based on the calculated optical images, as a light intensity distribution to be formed on the pupil plane, a light source obtained by combining the plurality of element light sources applied with weights.

Abstract: A computer readable storage medium is provided, storing a computer-executable program for causing a computer to determine at least one of mask pattern and exposure condition of an exposure apparatus having an illumination optical system for illuminating a mask with light from a light source and a projection optical system for projecting the mask pattern onto a substrate. The program causes the computer to perform calculation of an image of a pattern on an object plane of the projection optical system using information about lateral shift of an image caused by the exposure apparatus, and determination of at least one of the exposure condition and the mask pattern based on a calculation result.

Abstract: A mask includes a main pattern for resolving a target pattern to be formed on a substrate and an auxiliary pattern not resolving. Values of parameters of the main pattern and the auxiliary pattern are set. An image is calculated that is formed when the main pattern and the auxiliary pattern determined by the values of the parameters of the main pattern and the auxiliary pattern are projected by a projection optical system. Based on a result of the calculation that is performed by modifying the values of the parameters of the main pattern and the auxiliary pattern, the values of the parameters of the main pattern and the auxiliary pattern are determined to generate data of the mask including the main pattern and the auxiliary pattern determined.

Abstract: A method for determining an exposure condition for use in projecting an image of a pattern of an original on a substrate includes a setting step of setting an exposure condition, an image calculating step of calculating a dimension of an image to be projected on the substrate under the set exposure condition, an electrical characteristic calculating step of calculating an electrical characteristic of at least one of a portion for use as an interconnection and a portion for use as a transistor in a pattern to be formed on the substrate in accordance with a result calculated in the image calculating step, a determining step of determining whether the electrical characteristic calculated in the electrical characteristic calculating step satisfies a requirement, and an adjusting step of adjusting the set exposure condition when the electrical characteristic is determined not to satisfy the requirement in the determining step.

Abstract: Provided is a method for forming a pattern on a layer on a substrate. The method includes forming a line-and-space pattern on the layer; coating a resist on the line-and-space pattern and filling the resist in a space portion of the line-and-space pattern; exposing a pattern to the resist, developing the exposed resist, and forming a resist pattern on the space portion; and forming a pattern on the layer using a pattern which is a combination of a line portion of the line-and-space pattern and the resist pattern as a mask.

Abstract: The present invention provides a computer-readable recording medium recording a program for causing a computer to execute a method of determining a pattern of a mask and an effective light source distribution with which the mask is illuminated, both of which are used for an exposure apparatus including an illumination optical system which illuminates a mask with light from a light source and a projection optical system which projects a pattern of the mask onto a substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of generating a database of effective light source shapes including a generation step of generating an initial database representing an effective light source shapes corresponding to a plurality of conditions settable for an illumination optical system, a measurement step of setting an arbitrary condition for the illumination optical system, and measuring an effective light source shape, a calculation step of calculating a difference amount between an effective light source shape when each of the plurality of conditions is set for the illumination optical system and the effective light source shape included in the initial database, and a correction step of correcting the effective light source shapes included in the initial database using the difference amounts and compiling the corrected effective light source shapes into an actual database.

Abstract: The present invention provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to decide an exposure condition in an exposure apparatus, the program causing the computer to execute a step of selecting an evaluation item of interest from a plurality of evaluation items to be used to evaluate an image formed on an image plane of a projection optical system in correspondence with the exposure condition, a step of selecting, as an auxiliary evaluation item, an evaluation item which is different from the evaluation item of interest and changes a value in the same direction as that of a change in a value of the evaluation item of interest upon changing parameter values included in the exposure condition, and a step of setting an evaluation function including the evaluation item of interest and the auxiliary evaluation item as values.

Abstract: The present invention provides a determination method of determining exposure conditions of an exposure apparatus including an illumination optical system which illuminates a mask, and a projection optical system which projects a pattern of the mask onto a substrate, the method including a step of setting an illumination parameter for a light intensity distribution formed on a pupil plane of the illumination optical system, and an aberration parameter for an aberration of the projection optical system, and a step of determining a value of the illumination parameter and a value of the aberration parameter so that an image performance of an optical image of the pattern of the mask satisfies an evaluation criterion set for a target pattern to be formed on an image plane of the projection optical system.

Abstract: An exposure method for exposing a pattern of a reticle which includes a first pattern and a second pattern by using a light from a light source and an optical system includes the steps of obtaining information relating to the first pattern and plural types of representative patterns that can be used for the second pattern, and setting, for the first pattern and the plural types of representative patterns, (i) at least one exposure parameter of the light source and the optical system or (ii) a size or shape of the first pattern and the plural types of representative patterns.

Abstract: An exposure method comprises setting an exposure condition using a value of an exposure parameter when plural types of patterns are transferred onto a substrate. The method of determining a value of an exposure parameter comprises calculating an optical image, formed on an image plane upon illuminating a pattern on an object plane, for each of combinations of plural values of an exposure parameter and plural values of at least one of an exposure amount and a defocus amount, calculating, for each of the plural values of the exposure parameter, a deviation between a contour of a target optical image and a calculated contour of the optical image, in each of the plural types of patterns, and determining a value of the exposure parameter, at which a maximum value of the deviations among the plural types of patterns is minimum, as a value of the exposure parameter when exposing the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to decide an exposure condition in an exposure apparatus, the program causing the computer to execute a step of selecting an evaluation item of interest from a plurality of evaluation items to be used to evaluate an image formed on an image plane of a projection optical system in correspondence with the exposure condition, a step of selecting, as an auxiliary evaluation item, an evaluation item which is different from the evaluation item of interest and changes a value in the same direction as that of a change in a value of the evaluation item of interest upon changing parameter values included in the exposure condition, and a step of setting an evaluation function including the evaluation item of interest and the auxiliary evaluation item as values.

Abstract: A mask includes a main pattern for resolving a target pattern to be formed on a substrate and an auxiliary pattern not resolving. Values of parameters of the main pattern and the auxiliary pattern are set. An image is calculated that is formed when the main pattern and the auxiliary pattern determined by the values of the parameters of the main pattern and the auxiliary pattern are projected by a projection optical system. Based on a result of the calculation that is performed by modifying the values of the parameters of the main pattern and the auxiliary pattern, the values of the parameters of the main pattern and the auxiliary pattern are determined to generate data of the mask including the main pattern and the auxiliary pattern determined.

Abstract: A recording medium stores a program for causing a computer to execute a method of calculating a resist pattern.

Abstract: A method for determining an exposure condition for use in projecting an image of a pattern of an original on a substrate includes a setting step of setting an exposure condition, an image calculating step of calculating a dimension of an image to be projected on the substrate under the set exposure condition, an electrical characteristic calculating step of calculating an electrical characteristic of at least one of a portion for use as an interconnection and a portion for use as a transistor in a pattern to be formed on the substrate in accordance with a result calculated in the image calculating step, a determining step of determining whether the electrical characteristic calculated in the electrical characteristic calculating step satisfies a requirement, and an adjusting step of adjusting the set exposure condition when the electrical characteristic is determined not to satisfy the requirement in the determining step.

Abstract: The present invention provides an exposure method including the steps of generating a plurality of element light sources formed on a pupil plane of an illumination optical system, setting a plurality of aberration states which are expected to exist in a projection optical system, calculating, for each of all combinations of the plurality of aberration states and the plurality of element light sources, an optical image of a pattern of a mask, which is formed in an evaluation area when one aberration state among the plurality of aberration states is produced in the projection optical system, and the pattern of the mask is illuminated with one element light source among the plurality of element light sources, determining, based on the calculated optical images, as a light intensity distribution to be formed on the pupil plane, a light source obtained by combining the plurality of element light sources applied with weights.