A multiple electron beam writing apparatus includes an excitation light source to emit an excitation light, a multi-lens array to divide the excitation light into a plurality of lights, a photoemissive surface to receive the plurality of lights incident through its upper side, and emit multiple photoelectron beams from its back side, a blanking aperture array mechanism to provide, by deflecting each beam of the multiple photoelectron beams, an individual blanking control which individually switches each beam between ON and OFF, an electron optical system to include an electron lens, and to irradiate, using the electron lens, a target object with the multiple photoelectron beams having been controlled to be beam ON, and a control circuit to interconnect, for each shot of the multiple photoelectron beams, a timing of switching the excitation light between emission and non-emission with a timing of switching the each beam between ON and OFF.

To provide an electron microscope capable of performing the switching-over between normal illumination and annular illumination, wide-area irradiation, an interference pattern as desired or normal illumination in an expeditious and readily manner or achieving a better S/N ratio, the electron microscope comprises a photocathode 101 with negative electron affinity in use; an excitation optical system to excite the photocathode; and an electron optics system to irradiate an electron beam 13 generated from the photocathode by excitation light 12 irradiated through the excitation optical system onto a sample, the excitation optical system including a light source device 107 for the excitation light; and an optical modulation means 108 which is disposed in an optical path of the excitation light to perform spatial phase modulation to the excitation light.

A multiple electron beam writing apparatus includes an excitation light source to emit an excitation light, a multi-lens array to divide the excitation light into a plurality of lights, a photoemissive surface to receive the plurality of lights incident through its upper side, and emit multiple photoelectron beams from its back side, a blanking aperture array mechanism to provide, by deflecting each beam of the multiple photoelectron beams, an individual blanking control which individually switches each beam between ON and OFF, an electron optical system to include an electron lens, and to irradiate, using the electron lens, a target object with the multiple photoelectron beams having been controlled to be beam ON, and a control circuit to interconnect, for each shot of the multiple photoelectron beams, a timing of switching the excitation light between emission and non-emission with a timing of switching the each beam between ON and OFF.

Systems and methods are described herein for electron-beam lithography. In some aspects, a photo electron emitter and channel array assembly (PEECAA) may include a photo-electron emitting cathode having a uniform planar surface and an array of beam channels proximate to the cathode. In some cases, at least one of the cathode or the array of beam channels is removable from the PEECAA. The array of beam channels may include a grid of apertures, a plurality of beam channels, and a shared lens array including a plurality of lenses proximate to an exit of the plurality of beam channels. Individual apertures of the grid of apertures align with individual beam channels to allow electrons from the cathode to pass through the array of beam channels and the shared lens array to form a pixelated pattern, such that, upon exposure to the target, the pixelated pattern is permanently formed on the target.

Systems and methods are described herein for electron-beam lithography. In some aspects, a photo electron emitter and channel array assembly (PEECAA) may include a photo-electron emitting cathode having a uniform planar surface and an array of beam channels proximate to the cathode. In some cases, at least one of the cathode or the array of beam channels is removable from the PEECAA. The array of beam channels may include a grid of apertures, a plurality of beam channels, and a shared lens array including a plurality of lenses proximate to an exit of the plurality of beam channels. Individual apertures of the grid of apertures align with individual beam channels to allow electrons from the cathode to pass through the array of beam channels and the shared lens array to form a pixelated pattern, such that, upon exposure to the target, the pixelated pattern is permanently formed on the target.

According to one embodiment, a multi-electron beam device includes at least: a light-emitting element array; a drive circuit controlling the light-emitting element array in a desired light emission pattern; a photoelectric film emitting electrons due to light emitted by the light-emitting elements; a microchannel plate having microchannels multiplying the electrons, the microchannels being arranged at positions corresponding to the light-emitting elements of the light-emitting element array; and an aperture array having apertures arranged at positions corresponding to the microchannels, the apertures being narrower than output apertures of the microchannels and limiting electron beam sizes emitted from the microchannel plate. At least the photoelectric film, the microchannel plate, and the aperture array are disposed inside a vacuum optical column.

To provide an electron microscope capable of performing the switching-over between normal illumination and annular illumination, wide-area irradiation, an interference pattern as desired or normal illumination in an expeditious and readily manner or achieving a better S/N ratio, the electron microscope comprises a photocathode 101 with negative electron affinity in use; an excitation optical system to excite the photocathode; and an electron optics system to irradiate an electron beam 13 generated from the photocathode by excitation light 12 irradiated through the excitation optical system onto a sample, the excitation optical system including a light source device 107 for the excitation light; and an optical modulation means 108 which is disposed in an optical path of the excitation light to perform spatial phase modulation to the excitation light.

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.

According to one embodiment, a multi-electron beam device includes at least: a light-emitting element array; a drive circuit controlling the light-emitting element array in a desired light emission pattern; a photoelectric film emitting electrons due to light emitted by the light-emitting elements; a microchannel plate having microchannels multiplying the electrons, the microchannels being arranged at positions corresponding to the light-emitting elements of the light-emitting element array; and an aperture array having apertures arranged at positions corresponding to the microchannels, the apertures being narrower than output apertures of the microchannels and limiting electron beam sizes emitted from the microchannel plate. At least the photoelectric film, the microchannel plate, and the aperture array are disposed inside a vacuum optical column.

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.