Disclosed is a method of diagnosing a conversion process for converting a format of image data including unit data corresponding to charged particle beams into a format suitable for an aperture array, the aperture array having a plurality of controllers provided to match a plurality of the charged particle beams to control the charged particle beams, and a driver configured to drive the controllers. The method includes: extracting the unit data having an identical first rank based on an arrangement of the unit data in the image data from the unit data of each block including a predetermined number of the unit data and calculating a first checksum of each of the first rank; extracting the unit data having an identical second rank after the conversion process from the unit data of each block and calculating a second checksum of each of the second rank; and comparing the first and second checksums.

In one embodiment, a settling time determination method includes deflecting a charged particle beam by applying a voltage outputted from an amplifier to a first deflector while changing a deflection settling time, and writing an evaluation pattern, measuring a position of the evaluation pattern, and determining a position displacement amount of the measured position from a design position, performing fitting of the position displacement amount for the deflection settling time on a first output waveform of the amplifier, and determining a deflection settling time in which the position displacement amount is within a predetermined range.

To form a complex and fine pattern by combining optical exposure technology and charged particle beam exposure technology, provided is an exposure apparatus that radiates a charged particle beam at a position corresponding to a line pattern on a sample, including a beam generating section that generates a plurality of the charged particle beams at different irradiation positions in a width direction of the line pattern; a scanning control section that performs scanning with the irradiation positions of the charged particle beams along a longitudinal direction of the line pattern; a selecting section that selects at least one charged particle beam to irradiate the sample from among the plurality of charged particle beams, at a designated irradiation position in the longitudinal direction of the line pattern; and an irradiation control section that controls the at least one selected charged particle beam to irradiate the sample.

A current quantity measuring method of multi-beams irradiates with a charged particle beam, amplifies an electric signal corresponding to multi-beams passed through a plurality of aperture holes of an aperture member having the plurality of aperture holes to form multi-beams by irradiation with the charged particle beam, receives the electric signal amplified in the minute current measurement unit and counting the number of electrons in the multi-beams, calculates a current quantity of the multi-beams passed through the plurality of aperture holes by using a product of the calculated number of electrons in the multi-beams and elementary charge, and corrects irradiation time of the charged particle beam of each of the plurality of aperture holes on the basis of the calculated current quantity.

The invention provides an exposure apparatus (100) including a formation module (122) which forms charged particle beams with different irradiation positions on a specimen. The formation module (122) includes: a particle source (20) which emits the charged particle beams from an emission region (21) in which a width in a longitudinal direction is different from and a width in a lateral direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction; an aperture array device (60) provided with openings (62) arranged in an illuminated region (61) in which a width in a longitudinal direction is different from a width in a lateral direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction; illumination lenses (30, 50) provided between the particle source (20) and the aperture array device (60); and a beam cross-section deformation device (40) which is provided between the particle source (20) and the aperture array device (60), and deforms a cross-sectional shape of the charged particle beams into an anisotropic shape by an action of a magnetic field or an electric field.

In one embodiment, a method for evaluating a shaping aperture array includes forming a plurality of evaluation patterns on a substrate, the evaluation patterns each including a first line portion along a first direction and a second line portion along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction by performing writing using a plurality of beams formed by passage of a charged particle beam through a shaping aperture array having a plurality of holes, measuring, for each of the plurality of evaluation patterns, a position of the first line portion in the second direction, a position of the second line portion in the first direction, and a line width of the first line portion or the second line portion, and evaluating accuracy of the plurality of holes based on a result of measurement. Each evaluation pattern is written using one beam that has passed through a corresponding one of the holes in the shaping aperture array.

In one embodiment, a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus includes processing circuitry that is programmed to perform the function of a data region determination part determining a data region based on boundaries of pixels obtained by dividing a writing area of a substrate into mesh-shaped regions, an irradiation range of multiple charged particle beams, and boundaries of stripe segments obtained by dividing the writing area into segments having a predetermined width such that the segments are arranged in a predetermined direction, a deflection coordinate adjustment part adjusting deflection coordinates of the multiple charged particle beams such that the boundaries of the pixels are mapped to a boundary of the irradiation range, and a correction part calculating a corrected dose of each beam of the multiple charged particle beams by distributing, based on a positional relationship between the beam and pixels in the data region, a dose of the beam corresponding to a pixel in the data region calculated based on write data to one or more beams, and adding doses distributed to the beam, and a writing mechanism, including a charged particle beam source, a deflector, and a stage on which a target object is placed, and the writing mechanism deflecting the multiple charged particle beams based on the adjusted deflection coordinates and applying the beams each having the corrected dose to write a pattern.

The invention relates to a substrate exposure system comprising a frame, a substrate support module for carrying a substrate, an exposure apparatus for exposing said substrate, and adjustment assembly for adjusting the position of the exposure apparatus with respect to the substrate support module. The adjustment assembly comprises a hydraulic actuator, a hydraulic generator and a conduit, wherein the conduit interconnects said hydraulic actuator and said hydraulic generator for forming a hydraulic system. The exposure apparatus, the frame, the adjustment assembly and the substrate support module are arranged as parts of a series of mechanically linked components. A first part of said series of mechanically linked components comprises the exposure apparatus, and a second part comprises the substrate support module. Said hydraulic actuator is arranged between said first part and said second part. Preferably the hydraulic actuator comprises a first bellows and the hydraulic generator comprises a second bellows.

The invention relates to charged particle beam generator comprising a charged particle source for generating a charged particle beam, a collimator system comprising a collimator structure with a plurality of collimator electrodes for collimating the charged particle beam, a beam source vacuum chamber comprising the charged particle source, and a generator vacuum chamber comprising the collimator structure and the beam source vacuum chamber within a vacuum, wherein the collimator system is positioned outside the beam source vacuum chamber. Each of the beam source vacuum chamber and the generator vacuum chamber may be provided with a vacuum pump.

Charged particle beam systems and methods, such as a multi beam charged particle beam system and related methods, can compensate sample charging.