Electron beam position, size, or shape can be estimated by deflecting the beam to a plurality of apertures, either continuously or step-wise. Beam portions transmitted, absorbed, or scattered can be used to assess position, size, and shape. In other examples, a beam sensing aperture and the beam are oscillated with respect to each other by moving the aperture or varying the beam deflection or both. The beam can be directed to segmented detectors such as a quad detector, and currents in the segments used to assess beam position, shape, or size. The segments can be formed from a single conductive sheet on which the segments are defined but remain attached. After the conductive sheet is secured with an insulative adhesive, portions of the conductive sheet are broken away, leaving aligned segments.

A charged particle beam optical apparatus has a plurality of irradiation optical systems each of which irradiates an object with a charged particle beam and a first control apparatus configured to control a second irradiation optical system on the basis of an operation state of a first irradiation optical system.

A charged particle beam optical apparatus has a plurality of irradiation optical systems each of which irradiates an object with a charged particle beam and a first control apparatus configured to control a second irradiation optical system on the basis of an operation state of a first irradiation optical system.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a charged-particle beam device capable of moving a field-of-view to an exact position even when moving the field-of-view above an actual sample. In order to attain this objective, a charged-particle beam device is proposed comprising an objective lens whereby a charged-particle beam is focused and irradiated onto a sample; a field-of-view moving deflector for deflecting the charged-particle beam; and a stage onto which the sample is placed. The charged-particle beam device is equipped with a control device which controls the lens conditions for the objective lens in such a manner that the charged-particle been focuses on the sample which is to be measured; moves the field-of-view via the field-of-view moving deflector while maintaining the lens conditions; acquires a plurality of images at each position among a reference pattern extending in a specified direction; and uses the plurality of acquired images to adjust the signal supplied to the field-of-view moving deflector.

In one embodiment, a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a plurality of reflective marks disposed on a stage, an inspection aperture member configured to allow one beam to pass therethrough, a first detector detecting a beam current of a beam passed through the inspection aperture member, a second detector detecting charged particles reflected from the reflective marks, a first beam shape calculator generating a beam image based on the beam currents detected by the first detector and calculating a reference beam shape, and a second beam shape calculator calculating a beam shape based on changes in intensity of the reflected charged particles and a position of the stage. The reference beam shape is calculated before writing. During writing, the beam shape based on reflected charged particles is calculated, and variation of the beam shape is added to the reference beam shape.

The scanning charged particle beam microscope according to the present application is characterized in that, in acquiring an image of the FOV (field of view), interspaced beam irradiation points are set, and then, a deflector is controlled so that a charged particle beam scan is performed faster when the charged particle beam irradiates a position on the sample between each of the irradiation points than when the charged particle beam irradiates a position on the sample corresponding to each of the irradiation points (a position on the sample corresponding to each pixel detecting a signal). This allows the effects from a micro-domain electrification occurring within the FOV to be mitigated or controlled.

A multiple beam image acquisition apparatus includes a stage to mount thereon a target object, a beam forming mechanism to form multiple primary electron beams and a measurement primary electron beam, a primary electron optical system to collectively irradiate the target object surface with the multiple primary electron beams and the measurement primary electron beam, a secondary electron optical system to collectively guide multiple secondary electron beams generated because the target object is irradiated with the multiple primary electron beams, and a measurement secondary electron beam generated because the target object is irradiated with the measurement primary electron beam, a multi-detector to detect the multiple secondary electron beams collectively guided, a measurement mechanism to measure a position of the measurement secondary electron beam collectively guided, and a correction mechanism to correct a trajectory of the multiple secondary electron beams by using a measured position of the measurement secondary electron beam.

A charged particle beam writing method includes acquiring the deviation amount of the deflection position per unit tracking deflection amount with respect to each tracking coefficient of a plurality of tracking coefficients having been set for adjusting the tracking amount to shift the deflection position of a charged particle beam on the writing target substrate in order to follow movement of the stage on which the writing target substrate is placed, extracting a tracking coefficient based on which the deviation amount of the deflection position per the unit tracking deflection amount is closest to zero among the plurality of tracking coefficients, and writing a pattern on the writing target substrate with the charged particle beam while performing tracking control in which the tracking amount has been adjusted using the tracking coefficient extracted.

The scanning charged particle beam microscope according to the present application is characterized in that, in acquiring an image of the FOV (field of view), interspaced beam irradiation points are set, and then, a deflector is controlled so that a charged particle beam scan is performed faster when the charged particle beam irradiates a position on the sample between each of the irradiation points than when the charged particle beam irradiates a position on the sample corresponding to each of the irradiation points (a position on the sample corresponding to each pixel detecting a signal). This allows the effects from a micro-domain electrification occurring within the FOV to be mitigated or controlled.

According to one embodiment, provided is a deflection sensitivity calculation method for calculating deflection sensitivity of a deflector in an electron beam irradiation apparatus that irradiates an irradiation object on a stage with an electron beam by causing the deflector to deflect the electron beam, the deflection sensitivity calculation method including: irradiating an area that covers an adjustment plate with an electron beam by scanning a deflection parameter that controls deflection of the deflector in a predetermined width; detecting a current value detected from the adjustment plate; forming an image corresponding to the detected current value, a number of pixels of the image being known; calculating the number of pixels of a portion corresponding to the adjustment plate in the formed image; and calculating the deflection sensitivity of the deflector.