A pattern inspection apparatus includes a data processing circuitry to input detection data based on a secondary electron from a substrate for each irradiation unit region, where n.sub.1m.sub.1 irradiation unit regions in irradiation unit regions configure one of n.sub.2m.sub.2 image reference regions configuring an inspection measurement image, to calculate, for each of the n.sub.2m.sub.2 image reference regions, a statistic value acquired from the detection data of all the n.sub.1m.sub.1 irradiation unit regions in one of the n.sub.2m.sub.2 image reference regions, and to define the statistic value as image reference data for the image reference region, and a comparison processing circuitry to receive transmission of the image reference data for each image reference region, and to compare, using a reference image corresponding to the inspection measurement image composed of the n.sub.2m.sub.2 image reference regions, the measurement image with the reference image for each image reference region.

Provided are methods to improve tomography by creating fiducial holes using charged particle beams, and using the fiducial holes to improve the sample positioning, acquisition, alignment, reconstruction, and visualization of tomography data sets. Some versions create fiducial holes with an ion beam during the process of milling the sample. Other versions create in situ fiducial holes within the TEM using the electron beam prior to acquiring a tomography data series. In some versions multiple sets of fiducial holes are made, positioned strategically around a region of interest. The fiducial holes may be employed to properly position the features of interest during the acquisition, and later to help better align the tilt-series, and improve the accuracy and resolution of the final reconstruction. The operator or software may identify the holes to be tracked with tomography feature tracking techniques.

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.

Multiple reference fiducials are formed on a sample on a sample for charged particle beam facilities processing of the sample. As one fiducial is degraded by the charged particle beam, a second fiducial is used to create one or more additional fiducials.

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.

Lithographic apparatuses suitable for, and methodologies involving, complementary e-beam lithography (CEBL) are described. In an example, a layout for a metallization layer of an integrated circuit includes a first region having a plurality of unidirectional lines of a first width and a first pitch and parallel with a first direction. The layout also includes a second region having a plurality of unidirectional lines of a second width and a second pitch and parallel with the first direction, the second width and the second pitch different than the first width and the first pitch, respectively. The layout also includes a third region having a plurality of unidirectional lines of a third width and a third pitch and parallel with the first direction, the third width and the third pitch different than the first and second widths and different than the first and second pitches.

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 and having a pitch. The BAA also includes a second column of openings along the first direction and staggered from the first column of openings. The second column of openings has the pitch. A scan direction of the BAA is along a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction.

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 is described. The BAA includes three distinct aperture arrays of different pitch.

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.

A multi charged particle beam writing method includes assigning, for each unit irradiation region per beam of multi-beams, each divided shot obtained by dividing a shot of a maximum irradiation time and continuously irradiate the same unit irradiation region, to at least one of a plurality of beams that can be switched by collective deflection; calculating, for each unit irradiation region, an irradiation time; determining, for each unit irradiation region, whether to make each divided shot be beam on or off so that the total irradiation time for a plurality of corresponding divided shots to be beam on may become a combination equivalent to the irradiation time calculated; and applying, to the corresponding unit irradiation region, the plurality of corresponding divided shots to be beam on, using the plurality of beams while switching a beam between beams by collective deflection.