The present invention relates to a method for repairing at least one defect of a sample using a focused particle beam, comprising the steps of: (a) producing at least one first local, electrically conductive sacrificial layer on the sample, wherein the first local, electrically conductive sacrificial layer has a first portion and at least one second portion, wherein the first portion is adjacent to the at least one defect and wherein the first portion and the at least one second portion are electrically conductively connected to one another; and (b) producing at least one first reference mark on the at least one second portion of the first local, electrically conductive sacrificial layer for the purposes of correcting a drift of the focused particle beam in relation to the at least one defect while the at least one defect is being repaired.

Lithographic apparatuses suitable for, and methodologies involving, complementary e-beam lithography (CEBL) are described. In an example, a blanker aperture array (BAA) for an e-beam tool includes a first column of openings along a first direction. The BAA also includes a second column of openings along the first direction and staggered from the first column of openings. The first and second columns of openings together form an array having a pitch in the first direction. A scan direction of the BAA is along a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction. The pitch of the array corresponds to half of a minimal pitch layout of a target pattern of lines for orientation parallel with the second direction.

Lithographic apparatuses suitable for, and methodologies involving, complementary e-beam lithography (CEBL) are described. In an example, a method of real-time alignment of a wafer situated on a stage of an e-beam tool involves collecting backscattered electrons from an underlying patterned feature of the wafer while an e-beam column of the e-beam tool writes during scanning of the stage. The collecting is performed by an electron detector placed at the e-beam column bottom. The method also involves performing linear corrections of an alignment of the stage relative to the e-beam column based on the collecting.

Lithographic apparatuses suitable for, and methodologies involving, complementary e-beam lithography (CEBL) are described. In an example, a column for an e-beam direct write lithography tool includes a first blanker aperture array (BAA) including a staggered array of openings having a pitch along an array direction. The array direction is orthogonal to a scan direction. Each opening has a first dimension in the array direction. The column also includes a second BAA including a staggered array of openings having the pitch along the array direction. Each opening has a second dimension in the array direction, the second dimension greater than the first dimension.

In one embodiment, a charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a writer writing a pattern on a substrate on a stage with a charged particle beam, a mark substrate disposed on the stage and having a mark, an irradiation position detector detecting an irradiation position of the charged particle beam on a mark surface, a height detector detecting a surface height of the substrate and the mark substrate, a drift correction unit calculating an amount of drift correction, and a writing control unit correcting the irradiation position of the charged particle beam by using the amount of drift correction. The mark substrate has a pattern region with a plurality of marks and a non-pattern region with no pattern therein, and at least part of the non-pattern region is disposed between different portions of the pattern region. The height detector detects a height of a detection point in the non-pattern region.

In one embodiment, a charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a writer writing a pattern on a substrate placed on a stage by irradiating the substrate with a charged particle beam, a height detector detecting a surface height of a mark on the stage, an irradiation position detector detecting an irradiation position of the charged particle beam on the mark surface by irradiation with the charged particle beam focused at the surface height of the mark, a drift correction unit calculating an amount of drift of the charged particle beam on the mark surface from the irradiation position detected by the irradiation position detector, and generating correction information for correcting a shift in irradiation position caused by a drift on the substrate surface based on the amount of drift, and a writing control unit correcting the irradiation position of the charged particle beam by using the correction information.

In one embodiment, a multi-charged-particle-beam writing method includes dividing a data path into a plurality of first blocks based on at least either one of each of a plurality of input/output circuits and a plurality of wiring groups, and calculating a first shift amount for multiple beams for each of the plurality of first blocks. The data path is for inputting control data to a cell array on a blanking aperture array substrate. The control data is for controlling ON/OFF of each beam of the multiple beams. Each of the plurality of wiring groups includes a plurality of pieces of wiring connected to the plurality of input/output circuits and grouped together based on inter-wiring distance. The first shift amount is due to at least one of an electric field and a magnetic field for each of the plurality of first blocks. An irradiation position or a dose of the multiple beams is corrected based on the first shift amount, and irradiation is performed.

Lithographic apparatuses suitable for, and methodologies involving, complementary e-beam lithography (CEBL) are described. In an example, a blanker aperture array (BAA) for an e-beam tool includes a first column of openings along a first direction. The BAA also includes a second column of openings along the first direction and staggered from the first column of openings. The first and second columns of openings together form an array having a pitch in the first direction. A scan direction of the BAA is along a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction. The pitch of the array corresponds to half of a minimal pitch layout of a target pattern of lines for orientation parallel with the second direction.

Lithographic apparatuses suitable for, and methodologies involving, complementary e-beam lithography (CEBL) are described. In an example, a column for an e-beam direct write lithography tool includes a first blanker aperture array (BAA) including a staggered array of openings having a pitch along an array direction. The array direction is orthogonal to a scan direction. Each opening has a first dimension in the array direction. The column also includes a second BAA including a staggered array of openings having the pitch along the array direction. Each opening has a second dimension in the array direction, the second dimension greater than the first dimension.

In an embodiment, a method includes: placing a wafer on an implanter platen, the wafer including alignment marks; measuring a position of the wafer by measuring positions of the alignment marks with one or more cameras; determining an angular displacement between the position of the wafer and a reference position of the wafer; and rotating the implanter platen by the angular displacement.