Abstract: A method of calculating a deflection aberration correcting voltage includes writing predetermined patterns at a plurality of focus height positions measuring dimensional variations of width sizes of the predetermined patterns written at the plurality of focus height positions, calculating effective resolutions of the written predetermined patterns by using the dimensional variations, and on the basis of a focus height position at which a minimum effective resolution of the predetermined patterns is obtained, calculating a correcting voltage to correct deflection aberration and output the correcting voltage, wherein the correcting voltage is used when a charged particle beam is deflected.

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.

Abstract: A charged particle beam writing method includes measuring a topography of a backside of a substrate without an influence of a gravity sag, calculating a first positional deviation amount of a pattern written on a frontside of the substrate in a case of the backside of the substrate having been corrected to be flat, based on the the backside topography of the substrate, calculating a first coefficient of a first approximate expression indicating a positional deviation correction amount for correcting the first positional deviation amount, based on the first positional deviation amount, adding the first coefficient to a second coefficient of a second approximate expression indicating a positional deviation correction amount for correcting a second positional deviation amount of the pattern written on the frontside of the substrate in a case of the backside of the substrate having not been corrected to be flat, and writing the pattern on the frontside of the substrate utilizing a charged particle beam, based on

Abstract: A position measuring apparatus includes a holder having storage spaces in which a three-point support member for supporting a backside of a substrate being a mask at three points, and a vacuum chuck member for holding a backside of a substrate being a mask are prepared, a stage on which one of the three-point support member and the vacuum chuck member prepared in the storage spaces of the holder is mounted, a vacuum pump to hold and chuck the substrate through the vacuum chuck member in a state of being mounted on the stage, and a recognition unit to recognize a position of a pattern written on the substrate supported by the three-point support member mounted on the stage and a position of a pattern written on the substrate held by the vacuum chuck member on the stage.

Abstract: A writing apparatus including a selector unit responsive to receipt of input data of a pattern to be written by shots of irradiation of an electron beam, configured to select a current density of the electron beam being shot and a maximal shot size thereof based on the input data of the pattern to be written; and a writing unit configured to create an electron beam with the current density selected by said selector unit, shape the created electron beam into a shot size less than or equal to said maximal shot size in units of the shots, and shoot the shaped electron beam onto a workpiece to thereby write said pattern.

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: 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: A charged beam lithography method comprising the method steps shown in the Figure below.

Abstract: A charged particle beam lithograph apparatus of the present invention projects a charged particle beam onto a sample through a mask and lithographs a mask pattern on the sample through the movement of the charged particle beam. In order to focus the charged particle beam, the apparatus creates an electromagnetic field, from the magnetic lens, symmetric with respect to an optical axis of the charged particle beam. An aberration of the charged particle beam is created under the symmetric electromagnetic magnet. The aberration is compensated for under an electromagnetic field nonsymmetric with respect to the optical axis which is created by a deflection unit.

Abstract: In a method for correcting astigmatism and focusing in a charged particle optical lens-barrel, according to the invention, Fourier transformation data items are obtained, which indicate images obtained by scanning a sample with a charged particle beam when the focal distance of an objective lens is set to each of at least two different values. Then, the configuration of the section of the beam is determined on the basis of the difference between the data items, thereby performing astigmatism correction and focusing. As a result, a charged particle microscope can perform highly accurate astigmatism correction and focusing during observation, irrespective of the surface configuration of the sample or the beam section on the sample.

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.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus is constituted by a first focusing optical system for focusing light from a mercury-vapor lamp as a light source, a uniforming optical system for uniforming the focused light, a second focusing optical system for focusing the uniformed light and radiating the light onto a reticle mask, and a projection optical system for projecting the light, transmitted through the reticle, onto a wafer. The apparatus is designed to project/expose a predetermined mask pattern, formed on the mask, onto the wafer through the projection optical system. A special stop (i.e., a four-eye filter) is arranged as a secondary source for uniformly illuminating the mask. The special stop serves to set an intensity distribution within the exit plane of the secondary source such that intensities in four regions quadruple-symmetrical about the optical axis of the secondary source and decentered therefrom are higher than intensities in other regions.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus is constituted by a first focusing optical system for focusing light from a mercury-vapor lamp as a light source, a uniforming optical system for uniforming the focused light, a second focusing optical system for focusing the uniformed light and radiating the light onto a reticle mask, and a projection optical system for projecting the light, transmitted through the reticle, onto a wafer. A special stop is arranged as a secondary source for uniformly illuminating the mask. The special stop serves to set an intensity distribution within the exit plane of the secondary source so that intensities of both peripheral and central portions are larger than an intensity of an intermediate portion. In addition, the apparatus includes a halftone mask which allows an amplitude transmittance T of the translucent film and an amplitude transmittance T0 of the light-transmitting substrate to satisfy 0.01.times.TO<or=T<or=0.30.times.TO.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus is constituted by a first focusing optical system for focusing light from a mercury-vapor lamp as a light source, a uniforming optical system for uniforming the focused light, a second focusing optical system for focusing the uniformed light and radiating the light onto a reticle mask, and a projection optical system for projecting the light, transmitted through the reticle, onto a wafer. The apparatus is designed to project/expose a predetermined mask pattern, formed on the mask, onto the wafer through the projection optical system. A special stop (i.e., a four-eye filter) is arranged as a secondary source for uniformly illuminating the mask. The special stop serves to set an intensity distribution within the exit plane of the secondary source such that intensities in four regions quadruple-symmetrical about the optical axis of the secondary source and decentered therefrom are higher than intensities in other regions.

Abstract: A method of correcting astigmatism of a variable shaped beam uses a charged beam lithographic apparatus having a deflector for generating the shaped beam, a focus correction coil for adjusting a focus of the shaped beam, and astigmatism correction coils for correcting the astigmatism of the shaped beam.