A multi-beam pattern definition device for use in a particle-beam processing or inspection apparatus, which is irradiated with a beam of electrically charged particles and allows passage of the beam through a plurality of apertures to form corresponding beamlets, comprises an aperture array device in which said apertures are realized according to several sets of apertures arranged in respective aperture arrangements, and an absorber array device having a plurality of openings configured for the passage of at least a subset of beamlets that are formed by the apertures. The absorber array device comprises a plurality of openings corresponding to one of the aperture arrangements of the aperture array device, whereas it includes a charged-particle absorbing structure comprising absorbing regions surrounded by elevated regions and configured to absorb charged particles impinging thereupon at locations corresponding to apertures of the other aperture arrangements of the aperture array device, effectively confining the effects of irradiated particles and electric charge therein.

Lithographic apparatuses suitable for complementary e-beam lithography (CEBL) are described. In an example, a method of forming a pattern for a semiconductor structure includes forming a pattern of parallel lines above a substrate. The method also includes aligning the substrate in an e-beam tool to provide the pattern of parallel lines parallel with a scan direction of the e-beam tool. The e-beam tool includes a column having a blanker aperture array (BAA) with a staggered pair of columns of openings along an array direction orthogonal to the scan direction. The method also includes forming a pattern of cuts or vias in or above the pattern of parallel lines to provide line breaks for the pattern of parallel lines by scanning the substrate along the scan direction. A cumulative current through the column has a non-zero and substantially uniform cumulative current value throughout the scanning.

The present invention quickly calculates values of optimal excitation parameters which are set in lenses in multiple stages. A multi charged particle beam adjustment method includes forming a multi charged particle beam, calculating, for each of lenses in two or more stages disposed corresponding to object lenses in two or more stages, a first rate of change and a second rate of change in response to change in at least an excitation parameter, the first rate of change being a rate of change in a demagnification level of a beam image of the multi charged particle beam, the second rate of change being a rate of change in a rotation level of the beam image, and calculating a first amount of correction to the excitation parameter of each of the lenses based on an amount of correction to the demagnification level and the rotation level of the beam image, the first rate of change, and the second rate of change.

A system and method for defect inspection using voltage contrast in a charged particle system are provided. Some embodiments of the system and method include positioning the stage at a first position to enable a first beam of the plurality of beams to scan a first surface area of the wafer at a first time to generate a first image associated with the first surface area; positioning the stage at a second position to enable a second beam of the plurality of beams to scan the first surface area at a second time to generate a second image associated with the first surface area; and comparing the first image with the second image to enable detecting whether a defect is identified in the first surface area of the wafer.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for multi-modal operations of a multi-beam inspection system are disclosed. An apparatus for generating multi-modal beamlets may include an aperture array which includes a first group of apertures having a first size and a second group of apertures having a second size different from the first size, the second group of apertures adjoining the first group of apertures, in which the first group of apertures and the second group of apertures are in different pass-or-block statuses. A multi-beam apparatus of multi-modal inspection operations may include the aforementioned apparatus, a source configured to emit charged particles, a condenser system configured to set a projection area of the charged particles, and circuitry for controlling the first and second groups of apertures.

In one embodiment, a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a blanking aperture array substrate provided with a plurality of blankers configured to respectively perform blanking deflection on a plurality of charged particle beams included in a multi-beam, and a first shield member which is disposed downstream of the blanking aperture array substrate with respect to a travel direction of the multi-beam, has a cylindrical part in which the multi-beam passes through, and is composed of a high magnetic permeability material.

A multiple-charged particle-beam irradiation apparatus includes a shaping aperture array substrate that causes a charged particle beam to pass through a plurality of first apertures to form multi-beams, a plurality of blanking aperture array substrates each provided with a plurality of second apertures, which enable corresponding beams to pass, and including a blanker arranged at each of the second apertures, a movable table on which the blanking aperture array substrates are mounted so as to be spaced apart from each other in a second direction, which is orthogonal to a first direction along an optical axis, and that moves in the second direction to position one of the blanking aperture array substrates on the optical axis, and an alignment mechanism that performs an alignment adjustment between the blanking aperture array substrate on the optical axis and the shaping aperture array substrate.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for beam array geometry optimization of a multi-beam inspection tool are disclosed. In some embodiments, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) may include a first row of apertures; a second row of apertures positioned below the first row of apertures; a third row of apertures positioned below the second row of apertures; and a fourth row of apertures positioned below the third row of apertures; wherein the first, second, third, and fourth rows are parallel to each other in a first direction; the first and third rows are offset from the second and fourth rows in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction; the first and third rows have a first length; the second and fourth rows have a second length; and the first length is longer than the second length in the second direction.

In one embodiment, a multi-charged-particle-beam writing method includes performing a tracking operation such that, while a substrate placed on a stage moving continuously is being irradiated with multiple beams including a plurality of charged particle beams, deflection positions of the multiple beams follow movement of the stage, and applying the multiple beams to the substrate having a writing area including a plurality of rectangular regions arranged in a mesh during the tracking operation such that each of the plurality of rectangular regions is irradiated with the multiple beams. Each rectangular region includes a plurality of pixels each having a predetermined size and arranged in a mesh. At least one subset of the plurality of pixels is irradiated with the multiple beams in a first shot order and is then irradiated with the multiple beams in a second shot order different from the first shot order.

According to one aspect of the present invention, an electron beam irradiation apparatus includes a photoelectric surface configured to receive irradiation of excitation light on a side of a front surface, and generate electron beams from a side of a back surface; a blanking aperture array mechanism provided with passage holes corresponding to the electron beams and configured to perform deflection control on each of the plurality of electron beams passing through the passage holes; and an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust at least one of an orbit of transmitted light that passes through at least one of arrangement objects including the photoelectric surface, the blanking aperture array mechanism, and the limit aperture substrate up to the stage and reaches the stage, among an irradiated excitation light, and an orbit of the electron beams, wherein the arrangement objects shield at least a part of the transmitted light.