Abstract: An electron beam writing apparatus comprising, a cathode configured to emit an electron beam, a condition controller configured to change a condition under which the electron beam is emitted from the cathode in a plurality of ways, and a prediction unit configured to predict a life span of the cathode based on a temporal change in an amount of fluctuation of a beam characteristic of the electron beam to a change in the condition when the condition is changed.

Abstract: An electron beam writing apparatus comprising, a cathode configured to emit an electron beam, a condition controller configured to change a condition under which the electron beam is emitted from the cathode in a plurality of ways, and a prediction unit configured to predict a life span of the cathode based on a temporal change in an amount of fluctuation of a beam characteristic of the electron beam to a change in the condition when the condition is changed.

Abstract: A detector 32 measures the value of the current formed by reflected electrons generated as a result of irradiation of a reference mark on a substrate with an electron beam 54, where the reference mark is made of a material having a different reflectance than the substrate. The signal from the detector 32 is amplified by a detecting unit 33 and converted to a digital signal by an A/D conversion unit 34. A control computer 19 then performs averaging processing on the digital signal which is then used for drift compensation by a writing data correcting unit 31.

Abstract: A method of acquiring an offset deflection amount for a shaped beam, includes forming reference images of first and second figures which can be shaped by first and second aperture plates placed on a lithography apparatus, and a reference image of a mark; forming first and second convolution reference images based on the reference images of the mark and of the first and second figures; scanning over the mark with charged particle beams shaped into the first and second figures to acquire optical images of the first and second figures; forming first and second convolution synthesis images based on the first convolution reference image and respectively the optical images of the first and second figures; and calculating an offset deflection amount for the charged particle beam shaped into the second figure to match reference positions of the first and second figures based on center-of-gravity positions of the first and second convolution synthesis images.

Abstract: A detector 32 measures the value of the current formed by reflected electrons generated as a result of irradiation of a reference mark on a substrate with an electron beam 54, where the reference mark is made of a material having a different reflectance than the substrate. The signal from the detector 32 is amplified by a detecting unit 33 and converted to a digital signal by an A/D conversion unit 34. A control computer 19 then performs averaging processing on the digital signal which is then used for drift compensation by a writing data correcting unit 31.

Abstract: A method of acquiring an offset deflection amount for a shaped beam, includes forming reference images of first and second figures which can be shaped by first and second aperture plates placed on a lithography apparatus; forming, using design data of a mark, a reference image of the mark; forming a first convolution reference image obtained by a convolution calculation of the reference image of the mark and the reference image of the first figure and a second convolution reference image obtained by a convolution calculation of the reference image of the mark and the reference image of the second figure; respectively scanning over the mark with charged particle beams having shaped into the first and second figures by using the first and second aperture plates to acquire optical images of the first and second figures; forming a first convolution synthesis image obtained by a convolution calculation of the first convolution reference image and the optical image of the first figure and a second convolution synth