Abstract: A technique for estimating a process condition without limiting forms (such as shapes) of an object is presented, and a process condition estimating apparatus for estimating a process condition in which an object is processed, and which includes an input unit configured to input measurement data acquired at a predetermined position of the object; and an estimation unit configured to estimate the process condition from the measurement data, based on a process-condition-estimating function for inputting the measurement data and outputting an estimation value of the process condition.

Abstract: An aperture system of an electron beam apparatus includes a plurality of apertures each including a first area including at least one through hole allowing an electron beam to pass therethrough and a second area disposed outside the first area and including first and second alignment keys, wherein two apertures, among the plurality of apertures, include the first alignment keys arranged in mutually overlapping positions and having the same size, and an aperture, excluding the two apertures, among the plurality of apertures, includes the second alignment keys arranged to overlap the first alignment keys and having an area larger than an area of the first alignment keys.

Abstract: An aperture system of an electron beam apparatus includes a plurality of apertures each including a first area including at least one through hole allowing an electron beam to pass therethrough and a second area disposed outside the first area and including first and second alignment keys, wherein two apertures, among the plurality of apertures, include the first alignment keys arranged in mutually overlapping positions and having the same size, and an aperture, excluding the two apertures, among the plurality of apertures, includes the second alignment keys arranged to overlap the first alignment keys and having an area larger than an area of the first alignment keys.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a reticle, the method including preparing a substrate, determining position data of a pattern to be formed on the substrate, and setting a primary exposure condition to form the pattern; performing a primary exposure simulation regarding the substrate based on the position data of the pattern and the primary exposure condition; calculating a primary deformation rate of the substrate, which is generated in the primary exposure simulation; correcting the position data of the pattern based on the primary deformation rate of the substrate to provide a corrected position data of the pattern; and exposing the substrate under the primary exposure condition based on the corrected position data of the pattern.

Abstract: An exposure method includes designing a target pattern to be formed on a substrate, producing a first dose map having first dose values of beams of energy, e.g., electron beams, creating from the first dose map a second dose map having second dose values different from the first dose values, and irradiating regions of a layer of photoresist on the substrate with overlapping beams to expose the regions to doses of energy having values based on the second dose values. The photoresist layer may then be developed and used an etch mask. The etch mask may be used to etch a mask layer on a transparent substrate to form a reticle.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a reticle, the method including preparing a substrate, determining position data of a pattern to be formed on the substrate, and setting a primary exposure condition to form the pattern; performing a primary exposure simulation regarding the substrate based on the position data of the pattern and the primary exposure condition; calculating a primary deformation rate of the substrate, which is generated in the primary exposure simulation; correcting the position data of the pattern based on the primary deformation rate of the substrate to provide a corrected position data of the pattern; and exposing the substrate under the primary exposure condition based on the corrected position data of the pattern.

Abstract: An exposure method may include: radiating a charged particle beam in an exposure system comprising a beam generator, radiating the beam, and main and auxiliary deflectors deflecting the beam to determine a position of a beam shot; determining whether a deflection distance from a first position of a latest radiated beam shot to a second position of a subsequent beam shot is within a first distance in a main field area of an exposure target area, the main field area having a size determined by the main deflector; setting a settling time according to the deflection distance so that a settling time of the subsequent beam shot is set to a constant minimum value, greater than zero, when the deflection distance from the first position to the second position is within the first distance; and deflecting the beam using the main deflector based on the set settling time.

Abstract: An exposure method includes designing a target pattern to be formed on a substrate, producing a first dose map having first dose values of beams of energy, e.g., electron beams, creating from the first dose map a second dose map having second dose values different from the first dose values, and irradiating regions of a layer of photoresist on the substrate with overlapping beams to expose the regions to doses of energy having values based on the second dose values. The photoresist layer may then be developed and used an etch mask. The etch mask may be used to etch a mask layer on a transparent substrate to form a reticle.

Abstract: A method and system for imaging an object to be inspected and obtaining an optical image; creating a reference image from design pattern data; preparing an inspection recipe including one or more templates and parameter settings necessary for the inspection; checking the pattern and the template against each other, and selecting the reference image which corresponds to the template; detecting first and second edges in the selected reference image in accordance with the parameter setting using determined coordinates as a reference; detecting first and second edges in the optical image, this optical image corresponds to the selected reference image; and determining an inspection value by acquiring the difference between the line width of the optical image and the reference image using the first edge and second edge of the reference image and the first edge and second edges of the optical image.

Abstract: A charged particle beam pattern writing method according to an embodiment, includes measuring a position displacement amount of a stage above which a target object is placed, in a rotation direction; and writing a pattern of a beam image on the target object above the stage while the beam image is rotated, by using a plurality of electrostatic lenses at least one of which is arranged in a magnetic field of each of the plurality of electromagnetic lenses whose magnetic fields are in opposite directions, to avoid a focus displacement of a charged particle beam passing through the plurality of electromagnetic lenses and to correct the position displacement amount measured, in the rotation direction of the stage.

Abstract: An exposure method may include: radiating a charged particle beam in an exposure system comprising a beam generator, radiating the beam, and main and auxiliary deflectors deflecting the beam to determine a position of a beam shot; determining whether a deflection distance from a first position of a latest radiated beam shot to a second position of a subsequent beam shot is within a first distance in a main field area of an exposure target area, the main field area having a size determined by the main deflector; setting a settling time according to the deflection distance so that a settling time of the subsequent beam shot is set to a constant minimum value, greater than zero, when the deflection distance from the first position to the second position is within the first distance; and deflecting the beam using the main deflector based on the set settling time.

Abstract: A method and system for imaging an object to be inspected and obtaining an optical image; creating a reference image from design pattern data; preparing an inspection recipe including one or more templates and parameter settings necessary for the inspection; checking the pattern and the template against each other, and selecting the reference image which corresponds to the template; detecting first and second edges in the selected reference image in accordance with the parameter setting using determined coordinates as a reference; detecting first and second edges in the optical image, this optical image corresponds to the selected reference image; and determining an inspection value by acquiring the difference between the line width of the optical image and the reference image using the first edge and second edge of the reference image and the first edge and second edges of the optical image.

Abstract: A method and system for imaging an object to be inspected and obtaining an optical image; creating a reference image from design pattern data; preparing an inspection recipe including one or more templates and parameter settings necessary for the inspection; checking the pattern and the template against each other, and selecting the reference image which corresponds to the template; detecting first and second edges in the selected reference image in accordance with the parameter setting using determined coordinates as a reference; detecting first and second edges in the optical image, this optical image corresponds to the selected reference image; and determining an inspection value by acquiring the difference between the line width of the optical image and the reference image using the first edge and second edge of the reference image and the first edge and second edges of the optical image.

Abstract: A multi charged particle beam writing apparatus according to the present invention includes an aperture member, in which a plurality of openings are formed, to form multiple beams, a blanking plate having a plurality of blankers to respectively perform blanking deflection of a corresponding beam in multiple beams having passed through the plurality of openings of the aperture member, a blanking aperture member to block each of beams which were deflected to be in a beam off state by the plurality of blankers, a plural stage objective lens to focus multiple beams having passed through the blanking aperture member onto the target object and a plurality of electrostatic lenses, at least one of which is arranged at each stage of the plural stage objective lens, to dynamically correct defocusing of the multiple beams during writing.

Abstract: A charged particle beam pattern writing method according to an embodiment, includes measuring a position displacement amount of a stage above which a target object is placed, in a rotation direction; and writing a pattern of a beam image on the target object above the stage while the beam image is rotated, by using a plurality of electrostatic lenses at least one of which is arranged in a magnetic field of each of the plurality of electromagnetic lenses whose magnetic fields are in opposite directions, to avoid a focus displacement of a charged particle beam passing through the plurality of electromagnetic lenses and to correct the position displacement amount measured, in the rotation direction of the stage.

Abstract: A multi charged particle beam writing apparatus according to the present invention includes an aperture member, in which a plurality of openings are formed, to form multiple beams, a blanking plate having a plurality of blankers to respectively perform blanking deflection of a corresponding beam in multiple beams having passed through the plurality of openings of the aperture member, a blanking aperture member to block each of beams which were deflected to be in a beam off state by the plurality of blankers, a plural stage objective lens to focus multiple beams_having passed through the blanking aperture member onto the target object and a plurality of electrostatic lenses, at least one of which is arranged at each stage of the plural stage objective lens, to dynamically correct defocusing of the multiple beams during writing.

Abstract: A pattern inspection apparatus includes a light source, a stage configured to mount thereon a substrate with a pattern formed thereon, a first laser measuring unit configured to measure a position of the stage by using a laser beam, a sensor configured to capture a pattern image obtained from the pattern, formed on the substrate, irradiated by light from the light source, an optical system configured to focus the pattern image on the sensor, a second laser measuring unit configured to measure a position of the optical system by using a laser beam, a correction unit configured to correct a captured pattern image by using a difference between the position of the stage and the position of the optical system, and an inspection unit configured to inspect whether there is a defect of the pattern by using a corrected pattern image.

Abstract: A pattern inspection apparatus includes a light source, a stage configured to mount thereon a substrate with a pattern formed thereon, a first laser measuring unit configured to measure a position of the stage by using a laser beam, a sensor configured to capture a pattern image obtained from the pattern, formed on the substrate, irradiated by light from the light source, an optical system configured to focus the pattern image on the sensor, a second laser measuring unit configured to measure a position of the optical system by using a laser beam, a correction unit configured to correct a captured pattern image by using a difference between the position of the stage and the position of the optical system, and an inspection unit configured to inspect whether there is a defect of the pattern by using a corrected pattern image.

Abstract: A pattern inspection apparatus includes a light source, a stage configured to mount thereon a substrate with a pattern formed thereon, a first laser measuring unit configured to measure a position of the stage by using a laser beam, a sensor configured to capture a pattern image obtained from the pattern, formed on the substrate, irradiated by light from the light source, an optical system configured to focus the pattern image on the sensor, a second laser measuring unit configured to measure a position of the optical system by using a laser beam, a correction unit configured to correct a captured pattern image by using a difference between the position of the stage and the position of the optical system, and an inspection unit configured to inspect whether there is a defect of the pattern by using a corrected pattern image.

Abstract: A move mechanism for horizontally moving a target object in an accelerating manner, includes a moving unit configured to be horizontally moved in an accelerating manner, a plate part arranged on the moving unit and supported by the moving unit at a substantially center-of-gravity height position, and a mirror part configured to reflect a laser beam for measuring a position, the mirror part being connected to the plate part such that a center-of-gravity height position of the mirror part is arranged at the substantially center-of-gravity height position of the plate part.