An electron beam lithography system and an electron beam lithography process are disclosed herein for improving throughput. An exemplary method for increasing throughput achieved by an electron beam lithography system includes receiving an integrated circuit (IC) design layout that includes a target pattern, wherein the electron beam lithography system implements a first exposure dose to form the target pattern on a workpiece based on the IC design layout. The method further includes inserting a dummy pattern into the IC design layout to increase a pattern density of the IC design layout to greater than or equal to a threshold pattern density, thereby generating a modified IC design layout. The electron beam lithography system implements a second exposure dose that is less than the first exposure dose to form the target pattern on the workpiece based on the modified IC design layout.

A difference between a calculated amount of drift and an actual amount of drift is reduced. According to one aspect of the present invention, a charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a deflector adjusting an irradiation position of the charged particle beam with respect to a substrate placed on a stage, a shot data generator generating shot data from writing data, the shot data including a shot position and beam ON and OFF times for each shot, a drift corrector referring to a plurality of pieces of the generated shot data, calculating an amount of drift of the irradiation position of the charged particle beam with which the substrate is irradiated, and generating correction information for correcting an irradiation position deviation based on the amount of drift, a deflection controller controlling a deflection amount achieved by the deflector based on the shot data and the correction information, and a dummy irradiation instructor instructing execution of dummy irradiation in a writing process to irradiate with the charged particle beam in a predetermined irradiation amount at a position different from the substrate on the stage.

The purpose of the present invention is to correct a beam irradiation position shift caused by charging phenomena with high accuracy. A charged particle beam writing method includes virtually dividing a writing region of the substrate so as to have a predetermined mesh size and calculating a pattern density distribution representing an arrangement ratio of the pattern for each mesh region, calculating a dose distribution using the pattern density distribution, calculating an irradiation amount distribution using the pattern density distribution and the dose distribution, calculating a fogging charged particle amount distribution, calculating a charge amount distribution due to direct charge and a charge amount distribution due to fogging charge, calculating a position shift of a writing position based on the charge amount distribution due to direct charge and the charge amount distribution due to fogging charge, correcting an irradiation position using the position shift, and irradiating the corrected irradiation position with the charged particle beam with which a potential of a surface of the substrate becomes higher than a potential of a bottom surface of ae potential regulation member.

A multi-charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a circuit to allocate an additional dose to a position inside a writing target pattern in order to change a first dose distribution by an excessive dose, generated on the target object by applying, in the multi-charged particle beams, an excessive dose defective beam, to a second dose distribution whose center is located inside the writing target pattern and for which beam irradiation canceling out the excessive dose and being in a range of the first dose distribution exists; and a circuit to perform correction by subtracting an increased dose amount, generated at the center of the second dose distribution because of the additional dose being allocated, from a dose with which one of the center of the second dose distribution and a vicinity of the center of the second dose distribution is irradiated.

Methods for exposing a desired shape in an area on a surface using a charged particle beam system include determining a local pattern density for the area, based on an original set of exposure information. A pre-proximity effect correction (PEC) maximum dose for the local pattern density is determined, based on a pre-determined target post-PEC maximum dose. The pre-PEC maximum dose is calculated near an edge of the desired shape. Methods also include modifying the original set of exposure information with the pre-PEC maximum dose to create a modified set of exposure information.

A method for mask data synthesis and mask making includes calibrating an optical proximity correction (OPC) model by adjusting a plurality of parameters including a first parameter and a second parameter, wherein the first parameter indicates a long-range effect caused by an electron-beam lithography tool for making a mask used to manufacture a structure, and the second parameter indicates a geometric feature of a structure or a manufacturing process to make the structure, generating a device layout, calculating a first grid pattern density map of the device layout, generating a long-range correction map, at least based on the calibrated OPC model and the first grid pattern density map of the device layout, and performing an OPC to generate a corrected mask layout, at least based on the generated long-range correction map and the calibrated OPC model.

An electron beam lithography system and an electron beam lithography process are disclosed herein for improving throughput. An exemplary method for increasing throughput achieved by an electron beam lithography system includes receiving an integrated circuit (IC) design layout that includes a target pattern, wherein the electron beam lithography system implements a first exposure dose to form the target pattern on a workpiece based on the IC design layout. The method further includes inserting a dummy pattern into the IC design layout to increase a pattern density of the IC design layout to greater than or equal to a threshold pattern density, thereby generating a modified IC design layout. The electron beam lithography system implements a second exposure dose that is less than the first exposure dose to form the target pattern on the workpiece based on the modified IC design layout.

The present invention relates to resist compostions, in particular to photoresists that can be used in photolithography, especially in the fabrication of integrated circuits and derivative products. The resist compositions of the invention include an anti-scattering component which has a significant amount of empty space, and thus fewer scattering centers, such that radiation-scattering events are more limited during exposure. Such anti-scattering effects can lead to improved resolutions by reducing the usual proximity effects associated with lithographic techniques, allowing the production of smaller, higher resolution microchips. Furthermore, certain embodiments involve anti-scattering components which are directly linked to the resist components, which can improve the overall lithographic chemistry to provide benefits both in terms of resolution and resist sensitivity.

An electron beam lithography system and an electron beam lithography process are disclosed herein for improving throughput. An exemplary method for increasing throughput achieved by an electron beam lithography system includes receiving an integrated circuit (IC) design layout that includes a target pattern, wherein the electron beam lithography system implements a first exposure dose to form the target pattern on a workpiece based on the IC design layout. The method further includes inserting a dummy pattern into the IC design layout to increase a pattern density of the IC design layout to greater than or equal to a threshold pattern density, thereby generating a modified IC design layout. The electron beam lithography system implements a second exposure dose that is less than the first exposure dose to form the target pattern on the workpiece based on the modified IC design layout.

A method, apparatus, and system for processing a material stack. A hydrogen silsesquioxane layer is deposited on the material stack. A diffusion barrier layer is deposited on the hydrogen silsesquioxane layer to form a bilayer. The diffusion barrier layer comprises a material having a thickness that increases an amount of time before the hydrogen silsesquioxane layer ages to change a dose in an electron beam needed to expose the hydrogen silsesquioxane layer for a selected feature geometry with a desired width. The electron beam is directed through a surface of the bilayer to form an exposed portion of the bilayer. The electron beam applies the dose that is selected based on a pattern density of features for the material stack to have a desired level of exposure of the hydrogen silsesquioxane layer for the selected feature geometry. The hydrogen silsesquioxane layer is developed. The exposed portion remains on material stack.