In one embodiment, a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a blanking aperture array substrate provided with a plurality of blankers configured to respectively perform blanking deflection on a plurality of charged particle beams included in a multi-beam, and a first shield member which is disposed downstream of the blanking aperture array substrate with respect to a travel direction of the multi-beam, has a cylindrical part in which the multi-beam passes through, and is composed of a high magnetic permeability material.

A charged particle beam device for irradiating or inspecting a specimen is described. The charged particle beam device includes a charged particle beam source for generating a primary charged particle beam and a multi-aperture lens plate having a plurality of apertures for forming four or more primary. Two or more electrodes having one opening, e.g. having one opening each, for the primary charged particle beam or the four or more primary beamlets are provided. The charged particle beam device further includes a collimator for deflecting a first primary beamlet, a second primary beamlet, a third primary beamlet, and a fourth primary beamlet of the four or more primary beamlets with respect to each other. The charged particle beam device further includes an objective lens unit having three or more electrodes, each electrode having openings for the four or more primary beamlets.

A charged-particle assessment tool comprising a plurality of beam columns. Each beam column comprises: a charged-particle beam source configured to emit charged particles; a plurality of condenser lenses configured to form charged particles emitted from the charged-particle beam source into a plurality of charged-particle beams; and a plurality of objective lenses, each configured to project one of the plurality of charged-particle beams onto a sample. The beam columns are arranged adjacent one-another so as to project the charged particle beams onto adjacent regions of the sample.

A charged-particle assessment tool comprising: a condenser lens array, a collimator, a plurality of objective lenses and an electric power source. The condenser lens array configured to divide a beam of charged particles into a plurality of sub-beams and to focus each of the sub-beams to a respective intermediate focus. The collimator being at each intermediate focus and configured to deflect a respective sub-beam so that it is incident on the sample substantially normally. The plurality of objective lenses, each configured to project one of the plurality of charged-particle beams onto a sample. Each objective lens comprises: a first electrode; and a second electrode that is between the first electrode and the sample. The electric power source configured to apply first and second potentials to the first and second electrodes respectively such that the respective charged-particle beam is decelerated to be incident on the sample with a desired landing energy.

A blanking aperture array unit according to the present embodiment includes a chip configured to control a charged particle beam by blanking control of switching whether to irradiate a target with the charged particle beam; a substrate having the chip mounted thereon; a wire configured to electrically connect pads on the chip to the substrate and transmit a control signal for the blanking control from the substrate to the chip through the pads; and a conductive covering member having a first end connected to the substrate and a second end located on the chip, the covering member being provided from the first end to the second end to cover the wire while maintaining electrical insulation from the wire, and at least two end sides of the second end of the covering member are nearer a central portion of the chip than locations of the pads on the chip.

In a writing process in a charged-particle multi-beam apparatus, a desired pattern is written onto a target wherein said desired pattern is provided as input pattern data (INPDAT) in a vector format and processed through a pattern data processing flow. A data preprocessing system receives the input pattern data (INPDAT) and preprocesses the input pattern data independently of the writing process, preferably in advance to it, using writing parameter data provided to the data preprocessing system, and writes the intermediate pattern data (IMDAT) thus obtained to a data storage. When a writing process is carried out using the apparatus, its writing control system reads the intermediate pattern data from the data storage, converts them into pattern streaming data (SBUF), and streams the pattern streaming data to the apparatus for writing the pattern to the target.

A multi-beam inspection apparatus supporting a plurality of operation modes is disclosed. The charged particle beam apparatus for inspecting a sample supporting a plurality of operation modes comprises a charged particle beam source configured to emit a charged particle beam along a primary optical axis, a movable aperture plate, movable between a first position and a second position, and a controller having circuitry and configured to change the configuration of the apparatus to switch between a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, the movable aperture plate is positioned in the first position and is configured to allow a first charged particle beamlet derived from the charged particle beam to pass through. In the second mode, the movable aperture plate is positioned in the second position and is configured to allow the first charged particle beamlet and a second charged particle beamlet to pass through.

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 charged particle assessment tool including: an objective lens configured to project a plurality of charged particle beams onto a sample, the objective lens having a sample-facing surface defining a plurality of beam apertures through which respective ones of the charged particle beams are emitted toward the sample; and a plurality of capture electrodes, each capture electrode adjacent a respective one of the beam apertures, configured to capture charged particles emitted from the sample.

In one embodiment, a multi charged particle beam writing method includes forming a multi charged particle beam with which a substrate serving as a writing target is irradiated, deflecting the multi charged particle beam to a position with a predetermined deflection offset added so that deflection voltages respectively applied to a plurality of electrodes of an electrostatic positioning deflector does not include a state where all the deflection voltages are zero, and irradiating the substrate with the multi charged particle beam. A positive common voltage is added to the deflection voltages which are applied to the respective electrodes of the electrostatic positioning deflector.