Described is a method comprising directing an ultra-low voltage electron beam to a surface of a first insulating layer. The first insulating layer is disposed on a second insulating layer. The method includes modifying, by the application of the ultra-low voltage electron beam, the surface of the first insulating layer to selectively switch an interface between a first state having a first electronic property and a second state having a second electronic property.

In the system and method disclosed, an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) scanning tunneling microscope (STM) tip is used to selectively desorb hydrogen atoms from the Si(100)-2X1:H surface by injecting electrons at a negative sample bias voltage. A new lithography method is disclosed that allows the STM to operate under imaging conditions and simultaneously desorb H atoms as required. A high frequency signal is added to the negative sample bias voltage to deliver the required energy for hydrogen removal. The resulted current at this frequency and its harmonics are filtered to minimize their effect on the operation of the STM's feedback loop. This approach offers a significant potential for controlled and precise removal of hydrogen atoms from a hydrogen-terminated silicon surface and thus may be used for the fabrication of practical silicon-based atomic-scale devices.

In corner sections of first to fourth quadrants whose origin point is a center of an upper surface of a stage, three each of two-dimensional heads are provided. The three each of two-dimensional heads include one first head and two second heads. The stage is driven, while measuring a position of the stage using three first heads that face a two-dimensional grating of a scale plate provided above the stage from the four first heads, and during the driving, difference data of measurement values of the two second heads with respect to the first head in a measurement direction are taken in for head groups to which the three first heads belong, respectively, and using the difference data, grid errors are calibrated.

A method for exposing a pattern in an area on a surface using a charged particle beam lithography is disclosed and includes inputting an original set of exposure information for the area. The area comprises a plurality of pixels, and the original set of exposure information comprises dosages for the plurality of pixels in the area. A backscatter is calculated for a sub area of the area based on the original set of exposure information including the dosages for the plurality of pixels in the area. An increase in dosage for at least one pixel in a plurality of pixels in the sub area is determined, in a location where the backscatter of the sub area is below a pre-determined threshold, thereby increasing the backscatter of the sub area.

In a method of manufacturing a photo mask for lithography, circuit pattern data are acquired. A pattern density, which is a total pattern area per predetermined area, is calculated from the circuit pattern data. Dummy pattern data for areas having pattern density less than a threshold density are generated. Mask drawing data is generated from the circuit pattern data and the dummy pattern data. By using an electron beam from an electron beam lithography apparatus, patterns are drawn according to the mask drawing data on a resist layer formed on a mask blank substrate. The drawn resist layer is developed using a developing solution. Dummy patterns included in the dummy pattern data are not printed as a photo mask pattern when the resist layer is exposed with the electron beam and is developed.

Nanopantography is a method for patterning nanofeatures over large areas. Transfer of patterns defined by nanopantography using highly selective plasma etching, with an oxide layer of silicon serving as a hard mask, can improve patterning speed and etch profile. With this method, high aspect ratio features can be fabricated in a substrate with no mask undercut. The ability to fabricate complex patterns using nanopantography, followed by highly selective plasma etching, provides improved patterning speed, feature aspect ratio, and etching profile.

A method includes generating an electron beam from a radiation source; modifying an energy distribution of the electron beam through a first shaping aperture; and exposing a substrate to portions of the electron beam passing through the first shaping aperture. The first shaping aperture comprises blocking strips with a plurality of slots therebetween, a frame surrounding the blocking strips, and a diagonal support connected to the frame and one of the blocking strips.

The disclosure relates to an electronic beam machining system. The system includes a vacuum chamber; an electron gun located in the vacuum chamber and used to emit electron beam; a holder located in the vacuum chamber and used to fix an object; a control computer; and a diffraction unit located in the vacuum chamber; the diffraction unit includes a two-dimensional nanomaterial; the electron beam transmits the two-dimensional nanomaterial to form a transmission electron beam and a plurality of diffraction electron beams; the transmission electron beam and the plurality of diffraction electron beams radiate the object to form a transmission spot and a plurality of diffraction spots.

A charged particle beam writing apparatus includes an area density calculation unit to calculate a pattern area density weighted using a dose modulation value, which has previously been input from an outside and in which an amount of correction of a dimension variation due to a proximity effect has been included, a fogging correction dose coefficient calculation unit to calculate a fogging correction dose coefficient for correcting a dimension variation due to a fogging effect by using the pattern area density weighted using the dose modulation value having been input from the outside, a dose calculation unit to calculates a dose of a charged particle beam by using the fogging correction dose coefficient and the dose modulation value, and a writing unit to write a pattern on a target object with the charged particle beam of the dose.

According to one embodiment, a pattern drawing method includes correcting a drawing parameter for a pattern to be drawn on a resist film on a surface of a substrate. The correction being based on drawing information, height information, and dimensional difference information. The drawing information is design data for drawing the pattern on the resist film by irradiating the resist film with an electron beam. The height information indicates changes in surface height of the substrate. The dimensional difference information includes differences between a dimension of a pattern as indicated in the design data and a dimension of a pattern formed on the substrate by processing the substrate using a resist film patterned according to the drawing information as a mask. The correction of the drawing parameter reduces a dimensional difference between design data and a pattern formed on a target portion on the surface of the substrate.