Abstract: An electron gun device according to the present invention emits an electron beam by means of heating to a high temperature in a vacuum. According to the present invention, the surface of a material (108, 125), which emits an electron beam, is a hydrogenated metal that is melted and in a liquid state during a high-temperature operation; the liquid hydrogenated metal is contained in a hollow cover tube container (102, 124), which is in a solid state during the high-temperature operation, in the form of a hydrogenated liquid metal or in the form of a liquid metal before hydrogenation, and heated together with the cover tube container (102, 124) to a high temperature; subsequently, the hydrogenated liquid metal is exposed from the cover tube container (102, 124) and forms a liquid surface where gravity, the electric field and the surface tension of the liquid surface are balanced; and an electron beam is emitted from the exposed surface of the hydrogenated liquid metal.

Abstract: An electron gun device that emits an electron beam by heating to a high temperature in a vacuum. The surface of a material, which emits an electron beam, is a hydrogenated metal that is melted and in a liquid state during a high-temperature operation. The liquid hydrogenated metal is contained in a hollow cover tube container, which is in a solid state during the high-temperature operation, in the form of a hydrogenated liquid metal or in the form of a liquid metal before hydrogenation, and heated together with the cover tube container to a high temperature. The hydrogenated liquid metal is exposed from the cover tube container and forms a liquid surface where gravity, the electric field and the surface tension of the liquid surface are balanced; and an electron beam is emitted from the exposed surface of the hydrogenated liquid metal.

Abstract: A stage device to be used in a vacuum includes: a gas supply unit for generating a gas; a base member having upper, lower, right, and left surfaces; a slider formed in a frame shape surrounding the base member and having surfaces facing the respective surfaces of the base member, and disposed to be movable; and an air bearing configured to float the slider by supplying the gas to a space between the base member and the slider. The slider includes: an air chamber provided on the surface facing the base member for accumulating air, and the base member includes thereinside a slider-moving air flow passage configured to guide the gas from an inlet port to an outlet port for supplying the gas to the air chamber of the slider.

Abstract: A multi-column electron beam exposure apparatus includes: multiple column cells; an electron beam converging unit in which two annular permanent magnets and electromagnetic coils are surrounded by a ferromagnetic frame, the two annular permanent magnets being magnetized in an optical axis direction and symmetrical about the optical axis, where the electromagnetic coils adjust magnetic fields of the annular permanent magnets; and a substrate provided with circular apertures through which electron beams used in the column cells pass, respectively, where the electron beam converging unit is disposed in each of the circular apertures. The two annular permanent magnets may be disposed one above the other in the optical axis direction, and the electromagnetic coils may be provided inside or outside the annular permanent magnets in their radial direction.

Abstract: A stage device to be used in a vacuum includes: a gas supply unit for generating a gas; a base member having four of upper, lower, right, and left surfaces; a slider formed in a frame shape surrounding the base member and having surfaces facing the respective surfaces of the base member, and disposed to be movable; and an air bearing configured to float the slider by supplying the gas to a space between the base member and the slider. The slider includes: an air chamber provided on the surface facing the base member for accumulating air, and the base member includes thereinside a slider-moving air flow passage configured to supply the gas from an inlet port for letting in the gas generated by the gas supply unit to an outlet port for supplying the gas to the air chamber of the slider.

Abstract: A multi-column electron beam exposure apparatus includes: multiple column cells; an electron beam converging unit in which two annular permanent magnets and electromagnetic coils are surrounded by a ferromagnetic frame, each of the two annular permanent magnets being magnetized in an optical axis direction and being symmetrical about the optical axis, the electromagnetic coils disposed near the annular permanent magnets and used to adjust magnetic fields of the annular permanent magnets; and a substrate provided with circular apertures through which electron beams used in the column cells pass, respectively, the substrate having the electron beam converging unit disposed in a side portion of each of the circular apertures. The two annular permanent magnets may be disposed one above the other in the optical axis direction with same polarities facing each other, and the electromagnetic coils may be provided inside or outside the annular permanent magnets in their radial direction.

Abstract: An electron gun includes an electron source configured to emit electrons. The electron source includes an electron emission region configured to emit the electrons and an electron emission restrictive region configured to restrict emission of the electrons. The electron emission restrictive region is located on a side surface of the electron source except an electron emission surface on a tip of the electron source and is covered with a different material from the electron source. The electron gun emits thermal field-emitted electrons by applying an electric field to the tip while maintaining a sufficiently low temperature to avoid sublimation of a material of the electron source. The material of the electron source may be lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) or cerium hexaboride (CeB6). The electron emission restrictive region may be covered with carbon.

Abstract: An electron beam exposure apparatus includes: an electron gun for generating an electron beam; a deflector for deflecting the electron beam; a wafer stage; a stage position detector for detecting a position of the wafer stage; and a stage position computing unit for calculating a movement velocity of the wafer stage. On a basis of the movement velocity, the stage position computing unit calculates an amount of positional change of the wafer stage with respect to an interpolation time, and subsequently calculates an amount of positional movement of the wafer stage by sequentially adding the amount of positional change to the position of the wafer stage in synchronism with the interpolation time. Thus, the stage position computing unit calculates an amount of deflection of the electron beam corresponding to the amount of the positional movement of the wafer stage.

Abstract: Provided is an electron beam exposure apparatus for forming a desired pattern on a sample mounted on a wafer stage by exposure with an electron beam generated form an electron gun. The electron beam exposure apparatus includes: supplying device of injecting a reducing gas into a column in which the electron gun and the wafer stage are housed; and control unit of performing control so that the injection of the reducing gas into the column is continued for a predetermined period of time. Organic contamination is combined with H generated from the reducing gas by irradiation of an electron beam, and then evaporates. Further included is supplying device of injecting an ozone gas into the column. The control unit may perform control so that the injection of the ozone gas into the column in addition to the injection of the reducing gas is continued for a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: An electron gun includes an electron source configured to emit electrons. The electron source includes an electron emission region configured to emit the electrons and an electron emission restrictive region configured to restrict emission of the electrons. The electron emission restrictive region is located on a side surface of the electron source except an electron emission surface on a tip of the electron source and is covered with a different material from the electron source. The electron gun emits thermal field-emitted electrons by applying an electric field to the tip while maintaining a sufficiently low temperature to avoid sublimation of a material of the electron source. The material of the electron source may be lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) or cerium hexaboride (CeB6). The electron emission restrictive region may be covered with carbon.

Abstract: An electron beam exposure apparatus includes: an electron gun for generating an electron beam; a deflector for deflecting the electron beam; a wafer stage; a stage position detector for detecting a position of the wafer stage; and a stage position computing unit for calculating a movement velocity of the wafer stage. On a basis of the movement velocity, the stage position computing unit calculates an amount of positional change of the wafer stage with respect to an interpolation time, and subsequently calculates an amount of positional movement of the wafer stage by sequentially adding the amount of positional change to the position of the wafer stage in synchronism with the interpolation time. Thus, the stage position computing unit calculates an amount of deflection of the electron beam corresponding to the amount of the positional movement of the wafer stage.

Abstract: Provided is an electron beam exposure apparatus for forming a desired pattern on a sample mounted on a wafer stage by exposure with an electron beam generated form an electron gun. The electron beam exposure apparatus includes: supplying device of injecting a reducing gas into a column in which the electron gun and the wafer stage are housed; and control unit of performing control so that the injection of the reducing gas into the column is continued for a predetermined period of time. Organic contamination is combined with H generated from the reducing gas by irradiation of an electron beam, and then evaporates. Further included is supplying device of injecting an ozone gas into the column. The control unit may perform control so that the injection of the ozone gas into the column in addition to the injection of the reducing gas is continued for a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: An electron-beam exposure system includes: an electron gun; a first mask having a first opening for shaping a beam of electrons; a second mask having a second opening for shaping the beam of electrons; a stencil mask disposed below the first mask and the second mask, the stencil mask having a plurality of collective figured openings each for shaping the beam of electrons; a paralleling lens for causing the beam of electrons, which has been transmitted in, and come out of, the stencil mask, to turn into a beam of electrons which travels approximately in parallel to the optical axis; and a swing-back mask deflector for swinging back the beam of electrons which has passed through the stencil mask. N2>N1 may be satisfied where 1/N1 denotes the reduction ratio of a pattern in the stencil mask to a pattern on the surface of the workpiece, and 1/N2 denotes the reduction ratio of a pattern in the first mask and a pattern in the second mask to a pattern on the surface of the workpiece.

Abstract: An electron beam generating device, wherein a high-resistance film is formed on the outer surface of an insulator provided with a cathode for emitting thermal electrons and a grid for collecting thermal electrons and forming an electron beam to allow a feeble current to flow to the high-resistance film, thereby preventing the accumulation of thermal electrons on the insulator and discharging. The upper portion of the high-resistance film connected to a chamber supplies an approximate reference potential to the upper portion of the film, and the lower portion of the high-resistance film connected to the grid supplies almost the same potential as that of the grid to the lower portion of the film to allow a feeble current to flow to the film. The prevention of accumulation of thermal electrons on the insulator can prevent discharging, accurately control the current capacity of an electron beam, and give the electron beam generating device a longer service life.

Abstract: An electron beam generating apparatus for generating a plurality of electron beams, which includes: a plurality of cathodes for generating thermoelectrons; a cathode power supply unit for applying negative voltage to the cathodes so as to emit the thermoelectrons from the cathodes; a plurality of grids, which correspond to the plurality of cathodes respectively, for focusing the thermoelectrons emitted from each of the plurality of cathodes, and shaping the plurality of electron beams; and an insulator on which the plurality of cathodes and the plurality of grids are attached.

Abstract: An electron beam generating device, wherein a high-resistance film is formed on the outer surface of an insulator provided with a cathode for emitting thermal electrons and a grid for collecting thermal electrons and forming an electron beam to allow a feeble current to flow to the high-resistance film, thereby preventing the accumulation of thermal electrons on the insulator and discharging. The upper portion of the high-resistance film connected to a chamber supplies an approximate reference potential to the upper portion of the film, and the lower portion of the high-resistance film connected to the grid supplies almost the same potential as that of the grid to the lower portion of the film to allow a feeble current to flow to the film. The prevention of accumulation of thermal electrons on the insulator can prevent discharging, accurately control the current capacity of an electron beam, and give the electron beam generating device a longer service life.

Abstract: An electron beam generating apparatus for generating a plurality of electron beams, which includes: a plurality of cathodes for generating thermoelectrons; a cathode power supply unit for applying negative voltage to the cathodes so as to emit the thermoelectrons from the cathodes; a plurality of grids, which correspond to the plurality of cathodes respectively, for focusing the thermoelectrons emitted from each of the plurality of cathodes, and shaping the plurality of electron beams; and an insulator on which the plurality of cathodes and the plurality of grids are attached.

Abstract: An electron beam radiation apparatus having an electrostatic deflector capable of deflecting the electron beam with high accuracy and with a reduced displacement of the deflection position, is disclosed. The electrostatic deflector comprises a cylindrical holding member made of an insulating material and a plurality of electrodes separately fixed from each other inside of the holding member with at least a part of the surface thereof covered with a metal film. The holding member has a plurality of wedge-shaped fixing holes corresponding to the portions of the electrodes where they are fixed, respectively, the holes having a larger diameter on the outer peripheral surface than on the inner peripheral surface of the holding member. The electrodes are fixed on the holding member in such a manner that a molten joining metal is injected in the fixing holes with the electrodes arranged on the holding member and the joining metal is hardened in close contact with the metal film of the electrodes.

Abstract: Disclosed is a charged-particle beam lithography system in which deterioration of a BAA chip is prevented without a reduction in the magnitude of a charged-particle beam used for exposure. The charged-particle beam lithography system has a charged-particle beam emitter source and a chip having a plurality of apertures arrayed therein. The plurality of apertures shapes a charged-particle beam emitted from the emitter source so that the cross section thereof will have a predetermined shape. The charged-particle beam lithography system uses the charged-particle beam having passed through the apertures to pattern an exposed sample. The charged-particle beam lithography system includes a mask having a plurality of apertures bored therein. The plurality of apertures is arrayed in the same manner as the plurality of apertures arrayed in the chip, and has a size that is any multiple of the size of the apertures of the chip.

Abstract: An electron beam exposure apparatus, enabling detection of the height of a sample simply and with a high accuracy, including an electron gun, a converging unit able to converge an electron beam on a sample and make the focus position dynamically move, a deflecting unit for deflecting the electron beam, a movement mechanism for carrying and moving the sample, a deflection data and incident angle relationship storing circuit for storing the incident angle of the electron beam on the sample when the electron beam is deflected by the deflecting unit, a mark position detecting unit for detecting changes in reflected electrons at a mark provided on the sample when scanning the mark by the electron beam and thereby detecting the position of the mark, a mark position difference calculating unit for using the mark position detecting unit to scan a first mark provided on the sample by an electron beam of a first incident angle and a second mark in a predetermined positional relationship with the first mark by an electr