Performance of a cathode of an electron beam melting machine can be monitored, wherein detection means such as a near infrared (NIR) camera is used in combination with the electron beam of the machine to detect changes in performance over time the machine.

Lithography system, sensor and method for measuring properties of a massive amount of charged particle beams of a charged particle beam system, in particular a direct write lithography system, in which the charged particle beams are converted into light beams by using a converter element, using an array of light sensitive detectors such as diodes, CCD or CMOS devices, located in line with said converter element, for detecting said light beams, electronically reading out resulting signals from said detectors after exposure thereof by said light beams, utilizing said signals for determining values for one or more beam properties, thereby using an automated electronic calculator, and electronically adapting the charged particle system so as to correct for out of specification range values for all or a number of said charged particle beams, each for one or more properties, based on said calculated property values.

A temperature measuring mask includes: a substrate 10; a temperature sensor 11 being provided to the substrate 10, and being capable of sensing a temperature inside a charged particle beam lithography device 4; a circuit board 12 being provided to the substrate 10, and including a measuring circuit 121A that measures the temperature using the temperature sensor 11 and a storage device 121B that stores measurement data of the measured temperature; a secondary cell 13 being provided to the substrate 10, and supplying electric power to the circuit 121A; and a photoelectric cell 14 being provided to the substrate 10, and generating electric power by being irradiated with an energy beam to charge the secondary cell 13.

Apparatus and method for analyzing an electron beam including a circular sensor disk adapted to receive the electron beam, an inner semi-circular slit in the circular sensor disk; an outer semi-circular slit in the circular sensor disk wherein the outer semi-circular slit is spaced from the first semi-circular slit by a fixed distance; a system for sweeping the electron beam radially outward from the central axis to the inner semi-circular slit and outer second semi-circular slit; a sensor structure operatively connected to the circular sensor disk wherein the sensor structure receives the electron beam when it passes over the inner semi-circular slit and the outer semi-circular slit; and a device for measuring the electron beam that is intercepted by the inner semi-circular slit and the outer semi-circular slit.

A multi-charged particle beam writing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a region setting unit configured to set, as an irradiation region for a beam array to be used, the region of the central portion of an irradiation region for all of multiple beams of charged particle beams implemented to be emittable by a multiple beam irradiation mechanism, and a writing mechanism, including the multiple beam irradiation mechanism, configured to write a pattern on a target object with the beam array in the region of the central portion having been set in the multiple beams implemented.

A method of pattern data preparation includes the following steps. A desired pattern to be formed on a surface of a layer is inputted. A first set of beam shots are determined, and a first calculated pattern on the surface is calculated from the first set of beam shots. The first calculated pattern is rotated, so that a boundary of the desired pattern corresponding to a non-smooth boundary of the first calculated pattern is parallel to a boundary constituted by beam shots. A second set of beam shots are determined to revise the non-smooth boundary of the first calculated pattern, thereby calculating a second calculated pattern being close to the desired pattern on the surface. The present invention also provides a method of forming a pattern in a layer.

Apparatus and method for analyzing an electron beam including a circular sensor disk adapted to receive the electron beam, an inner semi-circular slit in the circular sensor disk; an outer semi-circular slit in the circular sensor disk wherein the outer semi-circular slit is spaced from the first semi-circular slit by a fixed distance; a system for sweeping the electron beam radially outward from the central axis to the inner semi-circular slit and outer second semi-circular slit; a sensor structure operatively connected to the circular sensor disk wherein the sensor structure receives the electron beam when it passes over the inner semi-circular slit and the outer semi-circular slit; and a device for measuring the electron beam that is intercepted by the inner semi-circular slit and the outer semi-circular slit.

In one embodiment, a method of obtaining a beam deflection shape includes using a plurality of beams to write a line pattern on a substrate by deflecting the plurality of beams, the plurality of beams being beams in the i-th row (i is an integer satisfying 1im) among multiple charged-particle beams including beams of m rows and n columns (m and n are integers equal to or greater than two), the deflection being performed in such a manner that a writing area for a beam in the j-th column (j is an integer satisfying 1jn1) is continuously adjacent to a writing area for a beam in the (j+1)th column, measuring a degree of unevenness of an edge of the line pattern, and obtaining a deflection shape of the beam based on the degree of unevenness.

A method for calibrating elementary patterns in variable-shaped-beam electron-beam lithography, includes the following steps: producing, by variable-shaped-beam electron-beam lithography, a calibration pattern comprising geometric figures each having a nominal critical dimension, the figures being divided into elementary patterns of smaller dimensions than each the nominal critical dimension; measuring the actual critical dimension of each the geometric figure; and applying a regression method on the basis of the actual critical dimensions thus determined to construct a mathematical model expressing either a variation in dimensions of the elementary patterns, or an error in the exposure dose of the elementary patterns producing an equivalent effect to the variation in dimensions, as a function of the dimensions of the elementary patterns. Application to the preparation of data with a view to transferring a pattern to a substrate by variable-shaped-beam electron-beam lithography.

The present disclosure relates to a method includes generating ions with an ion source of an ion implantation apparatus based on an ion implantation recipe. The method includes accelerating the generated ions based on an ion energy setting in the ion implantation recipe and determining an energy spectrum of the accelerated ions. The method also includes analyzing a relationship between the determined energy spectrum and the ion energy setting. The method further includes adjusting at least one parameter of a final energy magnet (FEM) of the ion implantation apparatus based on the analyzed relationship.