A multi-beam writing method includes acquiring a plurality of deflection coordinates for deflecting a beam to each of a plurality of pixels which are in each beam pitch region of a plurality of beam pitch regions, a number of pixels to be exposed by a beam in the each beam pitch region during each of tracking control period performed such that the multiple beams collectively follow a movement of a stage, and a deflection movement amount of the multiple beams at a time of tracking reset for resetting a tracking starting position after each of the tracking control period has passed; and generating a deflection sequence defined using the plurality of deflection coordinates, the number of pixels to be exposed during each of the tracking control period, and the deflection movement amount of the multiple beams at the time of tracking reset.

A Procedural EBL system implements a user-provided oracle function (e.g., associated with a specific pattern) to generate control instructions for electron beam drive electronics in an on-demand basis. A control system may invoke the oracle function to query the pattern at individual point locations (e.g., individual x,y locations), and/or it may query the pattern over an area corresponding to a current field being addressed by the beam and stage positioner, for example. This Procedural EBL configuration manages control and pattern generation so that the low-level drive electronics and beam column may remain unchanged, allowing it to leverage existing EBL technologies.

Systems, devices, and methods for performing a non-contact electrical measurement (NCEM) on a NCEM-enabled cell included in a NCEM-enabled cell vehicle may be configured to perform NCEMs while the NCEM-enabled cell vehicle is moving. The movement may be due to vibrations in the system and/or movement of a movable stage on which the NCEM-enabled cell vehicle is positioned. Position information for an electron beam column producing the electron beam performing the NCEMs and/or for the moving stage may be used to align the electron beam with targets on the NCEM-enabled cell vehicle while it is moving.

In one embodiment, a writing data generation method is for generating writing data used by a multi-charged particle beam writing apparatus. The writing data generation method includes referring to library data in which a vertex sequence including a plurality of vertices is registered, and extracting a portion of an outer line of a figure contained in design data, the portion corresponding to the vertex sequence, and representing the extracted portion by information which identifies the vertex sequence and information which indicates a connection method for the plurality of vertices of the vertex sequence, and generating the writing data.

In one embodiment, a first storage storing writing data, a second storage storing correction data for correcting an error in a writing position due to factors including bending of the substrate, a cell data allocator virtually dividing a writing region of the substrate into blocks, and allocating a cell to the blocks in consideration of the correction data, a plurality of bitmap data generators virtually dividing the blocks into meshes, calculating an irradiation amount per mesh region, and generating bitmap data which assigns the irradiation amount to each mesh region, and a shot data generator generating shot data that defines an irradiation time for each beam. The cell data allocator virtually divides the writing region by division lines in a direction different from a writing forward direction to generate a plurality of division regions. The plurality of bitmap data generators generate pieces of bitmap data of the different division regions.

A method for routing data for an e-beam writer includes, with a switching device of the e-beam writer, receiving a packet. The method further includes, with a scheduling engine of the switching device, routing the packet to one of a plurality of output buffers, wherein the routing is based on availabilities of the plurality of output buffers and vacancy levels of memory devices associated with the plurality of output buffers. The method further includes, with the switching device, outputting the packet from an output port associated with a memory device to which the packet is routed.

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.

A charged particle beam lithography apparatus, includes a plurality of multiple-beam sets, each of which including a plurality of irradiation sources each generating an independent charged particle beam, a plurality of objective deflectors, each arranged for a corresponding charged particle beam, and configured to deflect the corresponding charged particle beam to a desired position on a substrate, and a plurality of electrostatic or electromagnetic lens fields each to focus the corresponding charged particle beam on the target object; a plurality of common deflection amplifiers, arranged for each multiple-beam set, and each of the plurality of common deflection amplifiers being configured to commonly control the plurality of objective deflectors arranged in a same multiple-beam set; a plurality of individual ON/OFF mechanisms configured to individually turn ON/OFF a beam irradiated from each irradiation source; and one or more multiple-beam clusters including the plurality of multiple-beam sets.

A writing data generating method for generating writing data used in a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus, that can suppress a data amount and a calculation amount in a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus generated from design data including a figure having a curve. The method includes calculating a pair of curves each representing a curve portion of a figure included in design data, the curves each being defined by a plurality of control points, and generating the writing data by expressing a position of a second control point adjacent in a traveling direction of the curve to a first control point of the plurality of control points as a displacement from the first control point in the traveling direction of the curve and a displacement from the first control point in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction.

A charged particle beam lithography apparatus, includes a plurality of multiple-beam sets, each of which including a plurality of irradiation sources each generating an independent charged particle beam, a plurality of objective deflectors, each arranged for a corresponding charged particle beam, and configured to deflect the corresponding charged particle beam to a desired position on a substrate, and a plurality of electrostatic or electromagnetic lens fields each to focus the corresponding charged particle beam on the target object; a plurality of common deflection amplifiers, arranged for each multiple-beam set, and each of the plurality of common deflection amplifiers being configured to commonly control the plurality of objective deflectors arranged in a same multiple-beam set; a plurality of individual ON/OFF mechanisms configured to individually turn ON/OFF a beam irradiated from each irradiation source; and one or more multiple-beam clusters including the plurality of multiple-beam sets.