Abstract: A reflection prevention board of a charged particle beam irradiation apparatus of the present invention comprises a laminate sheet having a plurality of thin films and a plurality of microholes through the laminate sheet. According to the present invention the reflection prevention board can be manufactured at a lower cost, the reason being that it is easier to form microholes in the thin films and then laminate these thin films in an aligned relation than to drill holes through a thicker sheet. By doing so it is possible to achieve a better yield. Further, much deeper microholes, which might not otherwise be achieved on a thick sheet, can be formed by using more thin films and a reflection prevention effect can be improved by doing so.

Abstract: A method of transferring a sample to and from a treating chamber kept in a vacuum atmosphere through a pressure regulative preparatory chamber. The sample is contained in the sample transfer container, which is kept air-permeable by a dust filtering filter, in a cleaned atmosphere before the sample is transferred to the treating chamber. The sample transfer container is transferred into the preparatory chamber, and the inside of the preparatory chamber is evacuated to a vacuum atmosphere. The sample is then extracted from the sample transfer container in the vacuum atmosphere and is transferred into the treating chamber. Also disclosed is an apparatus for supporting the sample transferring method.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electrostatic deflecting electrode unit for use in charged beam lithography apparatus comprises a first step of preparing a hollow cylindrical member made of metal, a second step of forming grooves of a predetermined width in a cylindrical member in the direction of radius thereof and along lines that equally divides the periphery of the cylindrical member into eight sections, a third step of attaching a ring-like member made of an insulating material to each of end surfaces of the cylindrical member which are opposed to each other in the direction of axis of the cylindrical member in such a way that bottom portions of the grooves are exposed, and a fourth step of dividing the cylindrical member into eight electrodes by extending the bottom portions of the grooves in the direction of radius of the cylindrical member to reach the hole of the cylindrical member with the ring-like members attached.

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 pattern transfer apparatus includes a first substrate on which a circuit pattern of an arbitrary semiconductor device is drawn, a first stage including a substrate holding mechanism for holding the first substrate, an illumination optical system for illuminating the circuit pattern of the semiconductor device drawn on the first substrate, a second stage on which a second substrate can be mounted, a reducing optical system or an equimultiple optical system for transferring a part of the circuit pattern of the semiconductor device drawn on the first substrate, and a mechanism for moving at least one of first and second elements, the first element being one of the first and second stages and the second element being the reducing optical system or an equimultiple optical system, wherein the first stage has a holding mechanism for holding one of substrates of at least two sizes and for changing a gripping force in accordance with the sizes of the substrates.

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.