A method includes depositing a second dielectric layer over a first dielectric layer, depositing a third dielectric layer over the second dielectric layer, patterning a plurality of first openings in the third dielectric layer, etching the second dielectric layer through the first openings to form second openings in the second dielectric layer, performing a plasma etching process directed at the second dielectric layer from a first direction, the plasma etching process extending the second openings in the first direction, and etching the first dielectric layer through the second openings to form third openings in the first dielectric layer.

An apparatus and method for processing a workpiece with a beam is described. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber having a beam-line for forming a particle beam and treating a workpiece with the particle beam, and a scanner for translating the workpiece through the particle beam. The apparatus further includes a scanner control circuit coupled to the scanner, and configured to control a scan property of the scanner, and a beam control circuit coupled to at least one beam-line component, and configured to control the beam flux of the particle beam according to a duty cycle for switching between at least two different states during processing.

An apparatus for measuring ion beam current values without disturbing the state of ionization of an ion source includes a high-voltage circuit for applying a voltage between an anode and at least one cathode of an ion source based on a voltage condition and supplying its output current to the anode; a gas flow rate adjusting mechanism for adjusting the flow rate of a gas being an ion source material for generating ions and to be admitted into the ion source; a memory in which there is stored information representing a relationship between the flow rate of the gas and the value of an extraction current flowing through an extraction electrode; and an arithmetic processor for finding the extraction current corresponding to the flow rate of the gas based on the information stored in the memory and subtracting the value of the extraction current from the value of the output current supplied to the anode by the high-voltage circuit to compute the electrical current value of the ion beam.

A charged particle beam system includes a charged particle source, an extraction electrode, a suppressor electrode, a first variable voltage supply for biasing the extraction electrode with an extraction voltage and a second variable voltage supply for biasing the suppressor electrode with a suppressor voltage.

Methods for processing of a workpiece are disclosed. The actual rate at which different portions of an ion beam can process a workpiece, referred to as the processing rate profile, is determined by measuring the amount of material removed from, or added to, a workpiece by the ion beam as a function of ion beam position. An initial thickness profile of a workpiece to be processed is determined. Based on the initial thickness profile, a target thickness profile, and the processing rate profile of the ion beam, a first set of processing parameters are determined. The workpiece is then processed using this first set of processing parameters. In some embodiments, an updated thickness profile is determined after the first process and a second set of processing parameters are determined. A second process is performed using the second set of processing parameters. Optimizations to improve throughput are also disclosed.

Provided is a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus, including: an emission unit emitting a charged particle beam; a first aperture substrate having a plurality of first openings, the first aperture being irradiated with the charged particle beam, and the first aperture allowing a portion of the charged particle beam to pass through the plurality of first openings to form multiple beams; a second aperture substrate having a plurality of second openings through which each beam of the multiple beams passes and the second aperture substrate being capable of independently deflecting the each beam of the multiple beams; and a shielding plate provided so as to be insertable to a space between the first aperture substrate and the second aperture substrate and the shielding plate being capable of simultaneously shielding all the multiple beams.

Apparatus include a plurality of electrode arrangements spaced apart from each other opposite an ion propagation axis and defining an ion transfer channel that extends along the ion propagation axis that tapers between an input end that is situated to receive ions and an output end that is situated to couple the received ions to an input end of an ion guide. Methods include positioning a plurality of electrode arrangements at oblique angles opposite an ion propagation axis so as to form a ion transfer channel that tapers between an input end and an output end, and coupling the output end of the ion transfer channel to an input end of an ion optical element so as to direct ions in the ion transfer channel into the ion optical element. Related systems are also disclosed.

A multi charged particle beam writing method includes assigning, for each unit irradiation region per beam of multi-beams, each divided shot obtained by dividing a shot of a maximum irradiation time and continuously irradiate the same unit irradiation region, to at least one of a plurality of beams that can be switched by collective deflection; calculating, for each unit irradiation region, an irradiation time; determining, for each unit irradiation region, whether to make each divided shot be beam on or off so that the total irradiation time for a plurality of corresponding divided shots to be beam on may become a combination equivalent to the irradiation time calculated; and applying, to the corresponding unit irradiation region, the plurality of corresponding divided shots to be beam on, using the plurality of beams while switching a beam between beams by collective deflection.

A charged particle imaging apparatus comprising: A specimen holder, for holding a specimen; A particle-optical column, for: Producing a plurality of charged particle beams, by directing a progenitor charged particle beam onto an aperture plate having a corresponding plurality of apertures within a footprint of the progenitor beam; Directing said beams toward said specimen,
wherein: Said aperture plate comprises a plurality of different zones, which comprise mutually different aperture patterns, arranged within said progenitor beam footprint; The particle-optical column comprises a selector device, located downstream of said aperture plate, for selecting a beam array from a chosen one of said zones to be directed onto the specimen.

A thin-sample-piece fabricating device is provided with a focused-ion-beam irradiation optical system, a stage, a stage driving mechanism, and a computer. The focused-ion-beam irradiation optical system performs irradiation with a focused ion beam (FIB). The stage holds a sample piece (Q). The stage driving mechanism drives the stage. The computer sets a thin-piece forming region serving as a treatment region, as well as a peripheral section surrounding the entire periphery of the thin-piece forming region, on the sample piece (Q). The computer causes irradiation with the focused ion beam (FIB) from a direction crossing the irradiated face of the sample piece (Q) so as to perform etching treatment such that the thickness of the thin-piece forming region becomes less than the thickness of the peripheral section.