Lithographic apparatuses suitable for complementary e-beam lithography (CEBL) are described. In an example, a method of forming a pattern for a semiconductor structure includes forming a pattern of parallel lines above a substrate. The method also includes aligning the substrate in an e-beam tool to provide the pattern of parallel lines parallel with a scan direction of the e-beam tool. The e-beam tool includes a column having a blanker aperture array (BAA) with a staggered pair of columns of openings along an array direction orthogonal to the scan direction. The method also includes forming a pattern of cuts or vias in or above the pattern of parallel lines to provide line breaks for the pattern of parallel lines by scanning the substrate along the scan direction. A cumulative current through the column has a non-zero and substantially uniform cumulative current value throughout the scanning.

In one embodiment, a blanking aperture array system includes a blanking aperture array substrate provided blankers corresponding to each beam of a multi beam, a first radiation shield, and a second radiation shield. A circuit section applying a voltage to the blankers is disposed closer to a peripheral edge than a cell section including the blankers. The first radiation shield includes a first plate covering over the circuit section, disposed on an upper surface of the blanking aperture array substrate, and extending from a peripheral edge of a first opening for passage of the multi beam. The second radiation shield covers under the circuit section, and includes a lower peripheral wall section that hangs down from a lower surface of the blanking aperture array substrate and surrounds the cell section, and a lower plate extending from a peripheral edge of a lower opening for passage of the multi beam.

A multi charged particle beams exposure method includes assigning, with respect to plural times of shots of multi-beams using a charged particle beam, each shot to one of plural groups, depending on a total current value of beams becoming in an ON condition in a shot concerned in the multi-beams, changing the order of the plural times of shots so that shots assigned to the same group may be continuously emitted for each of the plural groups, correcting, for each group, a focus position of the multi-beams to a focus correction position for a group concerned corresponding to the total current value, and performing the plural times of shots of the multi-beams such that the shots assigned to the same group are continuously emitted in a state where the focus position of the multi-beams has been corrected to the focus correction position for the group concerned.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a stage mechanism includes a movable stage disposed in a vacuum atmosphere and mounting a heat source, a first heat pipe connected to the heat source, a movable mechanism configured to move according to the movement of the first heat pipe caused by the movement of the stage, by using a portion of the first heat pipe, and a cooling mechanism configured to cool the first heat pipe through the movable mechanism.

A semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes a semiconductor chip including a region having through holes; a substrate having a first opening larger than the region, the substrate containing a resin or a ceramic; a spacer provided between the semiconductor chip and the substrate, the spacer having a second opening larger than the region; a first bond provided between the semiconductor chip and the spacer; and a second bond provided between the spacer and the substrate.

A semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate includes a handle substrate, a charge-trapping layer located over the handle substrate and including nitrogen-doped polysilicon, an insulating layer located over the charge-trapping layer, and a semiconductor material layer located over the insulating layer. The nitrogen atoms in the charge-trapping layer suppress grain growth during anneal processes used to form the SOI substrate and during subsequent high temperature processes used to form semiconductor devices on the semiconductor material layer. Reduction in grain growth reduces distortion of the SOI substrate, and facilitates overlay of lithographic patterns during fabrication of the semiconductor devices. The charge-trapping layer suppresses formation of a parasitic surface conduction layer, and reduces capacitive coupling of the semiconductor devices with the handle substrate during high frequency operation such as operations in gigahertz range.

In one embodiment, a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a shaping aperture array forming multiple beams by allowing part of a charged particle beam to pass through a plurality of first openings, a blanking aperture array having a plurality of second openings having respective blankers each configured to deflect and blank the beam passing therethrough, a stopping aperture member having a third opening and configured to block deflected beams of the multiple beams at a position off the third opening, a first alignment coil disposed between the blanking aperture array and the stopping aperture member and adjusting a beam path, an objective lens disposed between the stopping aperture member and a stage, and a movement controller controlling a movement of a position of the third opening in an in-plane direction of the stopping aperture member.

A multi charged particle beam blanking apparatus includes a substrate, where a plurality of passage holes are formed, to let multi-beams of charged particle beams individually pass through a passage hole concerned; a plurality of reference electrodes, each arranged close to a corresponding passage hole, to be applied with a reference potential, not a ground potential, not via a transistor circuit, in an irradiation region of the whole multi-beams; and a plurality of switching electrodes, arranged at the substrate such that each of the plurality of switching electrodes and a corresponding paired one of the plurality of reference electrodes are opposite each other across a corresponding passage hole, to be applied with the reference potential and a control potential different from the reference potential in a switchable manner.

A system includes an aperture array comprising a plurality of active apertures, respective ones of the active apertures configured to selectively deflect beams passing therethrough. The system also includes a limiting aperture configured to pass beams not deflected by the active apertures to a target object. The system further includes a control circuit configured to control the active apertures to provide first and second different exposure duration resolutions.

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.