A multi charged particle beam exposure method includes transmitting ON/OFF control signals each being an ON/OFF control signal for a corresponding beam of multi-beams of charged particle beams in a batch to a blanking apparatus in which there are mounted a substrate where a plurality of passage holes are formed to let a corresponding beam of the multi-beams individually pass therethrough, and a plurality of individual blanking mechanisms arranged in the substrate to individually perform blanking deflection of each beam of the multi-beams, and irradiating the substrate with the multi-beams in accordance with the ON/OFF control signals transmitted in a batch, while shifting an irradiation timing for each group obtained by grouping the multi-beams into a plurality of groups by a plurality of individual blanking mechanisms mounted in the blanking apparatus.

A method for exposing a wafer according to pattern data using a charged particle lithography machine generating a plurality of charged particle beamlets for exposing the wafer. The method comprises providing the pattern data in a vector format, rendering the vector pattern data to generate multi-level pattern data, dithering the multi-level pattern data to generate two-level pattern data, supplying the two-level pattern data to the charged particle lithography machine, and switching on and off the beamlets generated by the charged particle lithography machine on the basis of the two-level pattern data, wherein the pattern data is adjusted on the basis of corrective data.

In one embodiment, a BAA apparatus 204 includes apertures 3, each of which being provided to blank charged particle beams 20. The apparatus 204 further includes first electrodes 6a, second electrodes 6b, first via plugs 5a, second via plugs 5c, drivers 2 and comparison circuitries 7 that are provided for each aperture 3, wherein a first electrode 6a and a second electrode 6b are opposite to each other, first and second via plug 5a and 5c are electrically connected to the first electrode 6a, a driver 2 supplies a driving signal to the first electrode 6a via the first via plug 5a, and a comparison circuitry 7 is provided to correspond to the first electrode 6a and compares the driving signal and a signal obtained from the second via 5c plug to output a comparison result signal indicating a result of the comparison.

Systems and methods for the selective processing of a particular portion of a workpiece are disclosed. For example, the outer portion may be processed by directing an ion beam toward a first position on the workpiece, where the ion beam extends beyond the outer edge of the workpiece at two first locations. The workpiece is then rotated relative to the ion beam about its center so that certain regions of the outer portion are exposed to the ion beam. The workpiece is then moved relative to the ion beam to a second position and rotated in the opposite direction so that all regions of the outer portion are exposed to the ion beam. This process may be repeated a plurality of times. The ion beam may perform any process, such as ion implantation, etching or deposition.

In one embodiment, a blanking aperture array is for a multi-charged particle beam writing apparatus. The blanking aperture array includes a substrate and a plurality of blankers. Each of the plurality of blankers includes a blanking electrode and a ground electrode that are formed on a first surface of the substrate. The plurality of blankers includes at least a normal blanker which is capable of applying a predetermined voltage between the blanking electrode and the ground electrode and for which a through hole bored through the substrate is formed, and a defective blanker which is not capable of applying the predetermined voltage between the blanking electrode and the ground electrode and for which the through hole bored through the substrate is filled with a beam shield.

A multiple charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a dose-data-for-defect-position-generation-circuit to generate dose-data-for-defect which defines a dose for a defect at the defect position when the dose of the nonzero value is defined in the vicinal region, and a writing mechanism to write patterns on a sample using multiple charged particle beams, wherein, when performing the writing, a unit region where writing processing is to be performed is moved to a next unit region where a pattern was determined to exist, skipping a unit region where no pattern was determined to exist by a pattern-existence-determination-circuit, and correction is performed to reduce an excessive dose, resulting from the defective beam at any writing pass in plural writing passes of multiple writing, at another writing pass.

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 multi charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a deflector to collectively deflect each beam in an on state, by tracking control in such a way as to follow stage movement, an obtaining processing circuitry to obtain a deviation amount of an irradiation position of each beam of multi-beams depending on a tracking amount of the tracking control, a correction coefficient calculation processing circuitry to calculate a correction coefficient for correcting the deviation amount of the irradiation position depending on the tracking amount, for each beam of the multi-beams and for each irradiation position, a shot data generation processing circuitry to generate shot data where deviation of an irradiation position of each beam of multi-beams depending on a tracking amount is to be corrected using a correction coefficient, for each tracking operation, and a deflection control processing circuitry to control plural blankers, based on the shot data.

The present disclosure provides one embodiment of an IC method. First pattern densities (PDs) of a plurality of templates of an IC design layout are received. Then a high PD outlier template and a low PD outlier template from the plurality of templates are identified. The high PD outlier template is split into multiple subsets of template and each subset of template carries a portion of PD of the high PD outlier template. A PD uniformity (PDU) optimization is performed to the low PD outlier template and multiple individual exposure processes are applied by using respective subset of templates.

A method for exposing a wafer using a plurality of charged particle beamlets. The method comprises identifying non-functional beamlets among the beamlets, allocating a first subset of the beamlets for exposing a first portion of the wafer, the first subset excluding the identified non-functional beamlets, performing a first scan for exposing the first portion of the wafer using the first subset of the beamlets, allocating a second subset of the beamlets for exposing a second portion of the wafer, the second subset also excluding the identified non-functional beamlets, and performing a second scan for exposing the second portion of the wafer using the second subset of the beamlets, wherein the first and second portions of the wafer do not overlap and together comprise the complete area of the wafer to be exposed.