The present invention provides a lithography apparatus including a plurality of detectors each configured to detect a mark on the substrate, and a controller configured to control a patterning so that a first operation and a second operation are alternately performed, the first operation irradiating the substrate with a beam while scan movement of the substrate is performed in a first direction, the second operation performing step movement of the substrate in a second direction different from the first direction, wherein the controller is configured to cause, in the first operation, at least one of the plurality of detectors to detect the mark, and the plurality of detectors are arranged, in the second direction, at an interval which is a positive integer multiple of a distance of the step movement.

A multi-beam writing method includes irradiating a target object with a multi-beam each being one of beams of irradiation time periods of a set of irradiation steps corresponding to writing processing concerned of plural writing processing of the multi-pass writing, for each writing processing of the multi-pass writing, using each set of irradiation steps, obtained by dividing entire irradiation steps of all the number of writing times of a beam concerned into a predetermined digit number irradiation steps to be set as an irradiation time obtained by multiplying a corresponding second gray scale by a quantization unit, as a set of irradiation steps of one of the plural writing processing of the multi-pass writing, wherein the corresponding second gray scale is one of plural second gray scales defined in decimals converted from each digit value of a binary number of a predetermined digit number.

Provided among other things are a scanning electron microscope, scanning transmission electron microscope, focused ion beam microscope, ion beam micromachining device, or scanning probe nanofabrication device, wherein the microscope or device is configured to move a substrate and a scanning modality relative to one another with an enclosed sinusoidal trajectory, and methods of operation.

Charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a first generation unit to generate a smallest deflection region layer in three or more deflection region layers each having deflection regions of a size different from those of other deflection region layers, for each of a plurality of figure types variably shapable using first and second shaping apertures, an assignment unit to assign each of a plurality of shot figure patterns to deflection regions of the smallest deflection region layer of a corresponding one of the plurality of figure types, a correction unit to correct, by shifting the position of each smallest deflection region layer, according to a variable shaping position of each figure type, and a writing unit to write each of the plurality of shot figure patterns on a target object, in a state where the position of each smallest deflection region layer has been corrected for each figure type.

A dynamic pattern generator (DPG) device and method of making a DPG device are disclosed. The DPG device is used in semiconductor processing tools that require multiple electron-beams, such as direct-write lithography. The device is a self-aligned DPG device that enormously reduces the required tolerances for aligning the various electrode layers, as compared to other design configurations including the non-self-aligned approach and also greatly simplifies the process complexity and cost. A process sequence for both integrated and non-integrated versions of the self-aligned DPG device is described. Additionally, an advanced self-aligned DPG device that eliminates the need for a charge dissipating coating or layer to be used on the device is described. Finally, a fabrication process for the implementation of both integrated and non-integrated versions of the advanced self-aligned DPG device is described.