Abstract: An exposure apparatus including a plurality of column units to generate a plurality of charged particle beams arrayed in a first direction, a column control unit to separately control irradiation timings of the charged particle beams, a converting unit to convert design data describing an arrangement coordinate of device patterns as a base into exposure data including second data which is divided into belt-like regions having a width of one charged particle beam and extending in a second direction, and first data which specifies the second data based on a position of the first direction, a first storing unit to store the exposure data, and a distributing unit to distribute each of the column units by reconfiguring the exposure data in accordance with an exposure order, and a method of creating exposure data structure and beam control data for such an exposure apparatus are provided.

Abstract: There is provided a charged particle beam exposure apparatus which turns an array beam including a plurality of charged particle beams, being arranged side by side in a line in a direction intersecting line patterns, on and off at predetermined blanking timing, and thus performs irradiation when irradiated positions of the charged particle beams arrive at pattern positions. The charged particle beam exposure apparatus improves data processing control by segmenting a sample provided with line patterns into a plurality of exposure ranges each at a predetermined length in a direction of movement, and performing on-off control of the beams based on a point of time when the array beam passes on a reference position set in the exposure region.

Abstract: There is provided a charged particle beam exposure apparatus which turns an array beam including a plurality of charged particle beams, being arranged side by side in a line in a direction intersecting line patterns, on and off at predetermined blanking timing, and thus performs irradiation when irradiated positions of the charged particle beams arrive at pattern positions. The charged particle beam exposure apparatus improves data processing control by segmenting a sample provided with line patterns into a plurality of exposure ranges each at a predetermined length in a direction of movement, and performing on-off control of the beams based on a point of time when the array beam passes on a reference position set in the exposure region.

Abstract: In a multi-column electron beam exposure apparatus for performing exposure treatment in parallel by arranging a plurality of column cells on a wafer, a relationship between exposure intensity and a line width for each column cell is obtained (Steps S41 and S44). Then, correction parameters are obtained, which allow a relationship between exposure intensity and a line width for a correction target column cell to coincide with a relationship between exposure intensity and a line width for a reference column cell selected from among the plurality of column cells (Steps S43 and S46). Thereafter, exposure time of each column cell is obtained by correcting the exposure time of the reference column cell based on the correction parameters thus obtained.

Abstract: Main deflection regions are arranged assuming that the positions of column cells are as designed, and adjacent main deflection regions are joined together to form a joined main deflection region. Then, a corrected main deflection region is arranged by correcting the position of each of the main deflection regions based on the actual positions of the column cells. After that, whether or not each of auxiliary deflection regions contained in the joined main deflection region overlaps with the corrected main deflection region is checked in predetermined order. Then, the auxiliary deflection regions overlapping with the corrected main deflection region are arranged in the order of detection thereby to yield auxiliary deflection region data.

Abstract: In a multi-column electron beam exposure apparatus for performing exposure treatment in parallel by arranging a plurality of column cells on a wafer, a relationship between exposure intensity and a line width for each column cell is obtained (Steps S41 and S44). Then, correction parameters are obtained, which allow a relationship between exposure intensity and a line width for a correction target column cell to coincide with a relationship between exposure intensity and a line width for a reference column cell selected from among the plurality of column cells (Steps S43 and S46). Thereafter, exposure time of each column cell is obtained by correcting the exposure time of the reference column cell based on the correction parameters thus obtained.