Abstract: Provided are X-Y constraining units having excellent yawing attitude precision as well as a stage apparatus and a vacuum stage apparatus, each including the X-Y constraining units. The X-Y constraining units 8 and 9 includes: Y-axis bases 81 and 91 respectively connected to Y-axis sliders 4 and 5 and having a through hole extending along Z direction; X-axis bases 82 and 92 respectively connected to an X-axis guide rail 6; shafts 83 and 93 respectively inserted into the through hole and fixed to the X-axis bases 82 and 92; and a plurality of bearing balls which are located between an inner peripheral surface of each of the through hole and an outer peripheral surface of the shafts 83 and 93, and are arranged so as to circumferentially surround the shafts 83 and 93. Each of the stage apparatus 1 and the vacuum stage apparatus includes the X-Y constraining units.

Abstract: Provided are X-Y constraining units having excellent yawing attitude precision as well as a stage apparatus and a vacuum stage apparatus, each including the X-Y constraining units. The X-Y constraining units 8 and 9 includes: Y-axis bases 81 and 91 respectively connected to Y-axis sliders 4 and 5 and having a through hole extending along Z direction; X-axis bases 82 and 92 respectively connected to an X-axis guide rail 6; shafts 83 and 93 respectively inserted into the through hole and fixed to the X-axis bases 82 and 92; and a plurality of bearing balls which are located between an inner peripheral surface of each of the through hole and an outer peripheral surface of the shafts 83 and 93, and are arranged so as to circumferentially surround the shafts 83 and 93. Each of the stage apparatus 1 and the vacuum stage apparatus includes the X-Y constraining units.

Abstract: A method for a stage device of an electron beam exposure system which conducts a cleaning operation and an electron beam (EB) exposure operation is disclosed. The method includes the steps of moving a movable stage within a predetermined range and regulating pressure of gas supplied to an air bearing; and setting a floating height of the movable stage in the cleaning operation lower than that in the EB exposure operation and setting the pressure in a differential pumping portion in the cleaning operation equal to that in the EB exposure operation, or setting the floating height of the movable stage in the cleaning operation equal to that in the EB exposure operation and setting the pressure in the differential pumping portion in the cleaning operation higher than that in the EB exposure operation.

Abstract: A stage device for use in a vacuum includes a frame-shaped movable stage having a sample mounting surface, a fixed stage surrounded by the movable stage, an air bearing to float the movable stage by supplying gas to a gap between the stages, a pressure regulator to regulate a pressure of the gas, a differential pumping portion to prevent the gas from flowing outside the gap, and a controller. The controller moves the movable stage within a predetermined range under a pressure in the differential pumping portion set equal to that for movable stage in use when setting a floating height of the movable stage lower than that for movable stage in use, and under the pressure in the differential pumping portion set higher than that for movable stage in use when setting the floating height of the movable stage equal to that for movable stage in use.

Abstract: A stage device for use in a vacuum includes a frame-shaped movable stage having a sample mounting surface, a fixed stage surrounded by the movable stage, an air bearing to float the movable stage by supplying gas to a gap between the stages, a pressure regulator to regulate a pressure of the gas, a differential pumping portion to prevent the gas from flowing outside the gap, and a controller. The controller moves the movable stage within a predetermined range under a pressure in the differential pumping portion set equal to that for movable stage in use when setting a floating height of the movable stage lower than that for movable stage in use, and under the pressure in the differential pumping portion set higher than that for movable stage in use when setting the floating height of the movable stage equal to that for movable stage in use.

Abstract: A stage device for use in a vacuum includes a frame-shaped movable stage having a sample mounting surface, a fixed stage surrounded by the movable stage, an air bearing to float the movable stage by supplying gas to a gap between the stages, a pressure regulator to regulate a pressure of the gas, a differential pumping portion to prevent the gas from flowing outside the gap, and a controller. The controller moves the movable stage within a predetermined range under a pressure in the differential pumping portion set equal to that for movable stage in use when setting a floating height of the movable stage lower than that for movable stage in use, and under the pressure in the differential pumping portion set higher than that for movable stage in use when setting the floating height of the movable stage equal to that for movable stage in use.

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure method includes the steps of creating dot pattern data indicative of a pattern to be exposed, storing the dot pattern data in a first storage device having a first access speed, transferring the dot pattern data from the first storage device to a second storage device having a second, higher access speed, reading the dot pattern data out from the second storage device, and producing a plurality of charged particle beams in response to the dot pattern data read out from the second storage device by means of a blanking aperture array, wherein the blanking aperture array includes a plurality of apertures each causing turning-on and turning-off of a changed particle beam pertinent to the aperture in response to the dot pattern data.

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure method includes the steps of creating dot pattern data indicative of a pattern to be exposed, storing the dot pattern data in a first storage device having a first access speed, transferring the dot pattern data from the first storage device to a second storage device having a second, higher access speed, reading the dot pattern data out from the second storage device, and producing a plurality of charged particle beams in response to the dot pattern data read out from the second storage device by means of a blanking aperture array, wherein the blanking aperture array includes a plurality of apertures each causing turning-on and turning-off of a changed particle beam pertinent to the aperture in response to the dot pattern data.

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure method including the steps of creating dot pattern data indicative of a pattern to be exposed, storing the dot indicative of a pattern to be exposed, storing the dot pattern data in a first storage device having a first access speed, transferring the dot pattern data from the first storage device to a second storage device having a second, higher access speed, reading the dot pattern data out from the second storage device; and producing a plurality of charged particle beams in response to the dot pattern data read out from the second storage device by means of a blanking aperture array. The blanking aperture array includes a plurality of apertures each causing turning-on and turning-off of a changed particle beam pertinent to the aperture in response to the dot pattern data.

Abstract: A method for exposing an exposure pattern on an object by a charged particle beam, including the steps of: shaping a charged particle beam into a plurality of charged particle beam elements in response to first bitmap data indicative of an exposure pattern, such that the plurality of charged particle beam elements are selectively turned off in response to the first bitmap data; focusing the charged particle beam elements upon a surface of an object; and scanning the surface of the object by the charged particle beam elements; the step of shaping including the steps of: expanding pattern data of said exposure pattern into second bitmap data having a resolution of n times (n.gtoreq.2) as large as, and m times (m.gtoreq.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an exposure method of a multi-beam type in which a stage mounting a sample to be exposed is continuously moved in a first direction, and charged-particle beams are controlled so as to form a desired beam shape as a whole, and in which a pattern is formed on the sample by deflecting the charged-particle beams by a main deflector and a sub deflector. Patterns to be drawn are divided into pattern data on a cell stripe basis which corresponds to an area which can be exposed when the sub deflector scans the charged-particle beams one time. The pattern data on the cell stripe basis is stored into a memory. Then, position data indicative of cell stripes is stored, in an exposure sequence, together with address information concerning the memory in which the pattern data is stored. The deflection amount data relating to the main deflector and the sub deflector is calculated from the position data. Patterns are drawn on the wafer by using the pattern data and the deflection amount data.

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure method including steps of creating dot pattern data indicative of a pattern to be exposed, storing the dot pattern data in a first storage device having a first access speed, transferring the dot pattern data from the first storage device to a second storage device having a second, higher access speed, reading the dot pattern data out from the second storage device, and producing a plurality of charged particle beams in response to the dot pattern data read out from the second storage device by means of a blanking aperture array. The blanking aperture array includes a plurality of apertures each causing turning-on and turning-off of a changed particle beam pertinent to the aperture in response to the dot pattern data.

Abstract: A method for providing charged particle beam exposure onto an object having a plurality of chip areas with a plurality of aligning marks formed in correspondence to each of said chip areas. A charged particle beam is irradiated upon an object mounted on a mobile step based upon positions of the aligning marks. Actual positions of the alignment marks are detected and compared to the design positions of the alignment marks to determine approximate relationships which are used to calculate an actual position to perform exposure.

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure method including the steps of creating dot pattern data indicative of a pattern to be exposed, storing the dot indicative of a pattern to be exposed, storing the dot pattern data in a first storage device having a first access speed, transferring the dot pattern data from the first storage device to a second storage device having a second, higher access speed, reading the dot pattern data out from the second storage device; and producing a plurality of charged particle beams in response to the dot pattern data read out from the second storage device by means of a blanking aperture array. The blanking aperture array includes a plurality of apertures each causing turning-on and turning-off of a changed particle beam pertinent to the aperture in response to the dot pattern data.

Abstract: By using a blanking aperture array BAA, the density of the bit map data in the portions where adjacent areas are linked is decreased toward the outside. On the lower surface of the holder of the BAA chip, a ball grid array wired to blanking electrodes is formed, to be pressed in contact against pads on a wiring base board. The registered bit map data for an isosceles right triangle are read out from address A=A0+?RA.multidot.i! (A0 and i are integers, ? ! is an operator for integerizing), masked, and then shifted by bits to be deformed. From registered bit map data for proximity effect correction, the area which corresponds to the size of the object of correction and the required degree of proximity affect correction is extracted, and logic operation with the bit map data of the object of correction is performed to achieve proximity affect correction.

Abstract: To improve in the throughput of an exposure system, the setting time during a step change in the output of an amplifier is reduced by switching resistance between the amplifier and deflector, a glitch waveform generated during a step change in the output of a D/A converter at the preceding stage of the amplifier, is anticipated and is canceled out with a correction waveform, after the output of the D/A converter has settled, this output is sample held and the step change is interpolated at a smoothing circuit, the deflection area is increased by positioning a electrostatic deflector offset around the optical axis relative to another electrostatic deflector, the response speed of the main deflection is improved by adding auxiliary deflection coils of one or two turn, and the alignment time is reduced by combining the coordinate conversion in the wafer area and in the chip area.

Abstract: To improve the throughput of an exposure system, the setting time during a step change in the output of an amplifier is reduced by switching resistance between the amplifier and a deflector. A glitch waveform generated during a step change in the output of a D/A converter at the preceding stage of the amplifier is anticipated and is cancelled out with a correction waveform. After the output of the D/A converter has settled, this output is sample-held and the step change is interpolated with a smoothing circuit. The deflection area is increased by positioning an electrostatic deflector offset around the optical axis relative to another electrostatic deflector, and the response speed of the main deflection is improved by adding auxiliary deflection coils of one or two turns. The alignment time is reduced by combining the coordinate conversion in the wafer area and in the chip area.

Abstract: An electron-beam exposure system includes an astigmatic compensation circuit that increases a voltage applied across a pair of electrodes forming an electrostatic sub-deflector and simultaneously decreases a voltage applied across another pair of electrodes forming the same electrostatic sub-deflector with a same magnitude as in the case of increasing the voltage, wherein the magnitude of the voltage change is changed in response to the deflection of the electron-beam caused by a main deflector.

Abstract: A charged particle beam exposure method includes the steps of creating dot pattern data indicative of a pattern to be exposed, storing the dot pattern data in a first storage device having a first access speed, transferring the dot pattern data from the first storage device to a second storage device having a second, higher access speed, reading the dot pattern data out from the second storage device, and producing a plurality of charged particle beams in response to the dot pattern data read out from the second storage device by means of a blanking aperture array, wherein the blanking aperture array includes a plurality of apertures each causing turning-on and turning-off of a changed particle beam pertinent to the aperture in response to the dot pattern data.

Abstract: In a block exposure pattern extracting system applied to a charged-particle beam exposure system having a block mask including a plurality of transparent stats having different shapes, a comparator unit compares first vectors connecting one of apexes of an input exposure pattern to other apexes thereof with second vectors connecting a reference point which is one of apexes of a unit block exposure pattern to other apexes of the unit block exposure pattern. A determining unit determines whether or not the first vectors coincide with the second vectors. An extracting unit extracts the input exposure pattern as the unit block exposure pattern when the determining unit determines that the first vectors coincide with the second vectors.