Charged particle beam writing method and charged particle beam writing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10460909-B2
Application number	US-201815888118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2018
Priority date	Mar 15, 2017
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

In one embodiment, a charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a current limiting aperture, a blanking deflector switching between beam ON and beam OFF so as to control an irradiation time by deflecting the charged particle beam having passed through the current limiting aperture, a blanking aperture blocking the charged particle beam deflected by the blanking deflector in such a manner that the beam OFF state is entered, and an electron lens disposed between the current limiting aperture and the blanking aperture. A lens value set for the electron lens is substituted into a given function to calculate an offset time. The offset time is added to an irradiation time for writing a pattern to correct the irradiation time. The blanking deflector switches between the beam ON and the beam OFF based on the corrected irradiation time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A charged particle beam writing method using a charged particle beam writing apparatus including an emitting unit, a current limiting aperture, a blanking deflector, a blanking aperture, and an electron lens, the emitting unit emitting a charged particle beam, the current limiting aperture being provided with an opening through which part of the charged particle beam passes, the blanking deflector switching between beam ON and beam OFF so as to control an irradiation time by deflecting the charged particle beam having passed through the current limiting aperture, the blanking aperture blocking the charged particle beam deflected by the blanking deflector in such a manner that the beam OFF state is entered, the electron lens being disposed between the current limiting aperture and the blanking aperture, the method comprising:
substituting a lens value into a given function and calculating an offset time, the lens value being set for the electron lens;
adding the offset time to an irradiation time for writing a pattern, and correcting the irradiation time; and
switching between the beam ON and the beam OFF by using the blanking deflector based on the corrected irradiation time.

2. The charged particle beam writing method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the charged particle beam having passed through the current limiting aperture forms an image on the blanking aperture.

3. The charged particle beam writing method according to claim 1 ,
wherein evaluation patterns are written on a substrate by changing each of the lens value of the electron lens, the offset time, and multiplicity in multiple writing, and
wherein optimal offset times are obtained for the respective lens values based on sizes of the evaluation patterns, and the given function indicating correspondence between the lens values and the optimal offset times is calculated.

4. A charged particle beam writing method using a charged particle beam writing apparatus including an emitting unit, a current limiting aperture, a blanking deflector, a blanking aperture, and an electron lens, the emitting unit emitting a charged particle beam, the current limiting aperture being provided with an opening through which part of the charged particle beam passes, the blanking deflector switching between beam ON and beam OFF so as to control an irradiation time by deflecting the charged particle beam having passed through the current limiting aperture, the blanking aperture blocking the charged particle beam deflected by the blanking deflector in such a manner that the beam OFF state is entered, the electron lens being disposed between the current limiting aperture and the blanking aperture, the method comprising:
deflecting the charged particle beam and scanning the blanking aperture;
detecting an amount of current of the charged particle beam having passed through the blanking aperture, and obtaining a waveform of a distribution of the amount of current;
substituting, into a given function, a value corresponding to a width of the waveform, and calculating an offset time;
adding the offset time to an irradiation time for writing a pattern, and correcting the irradiation time; and
switching between the beam ON and the beam OFF by using the blanking deflector based on the corrected irradiation time.

5. The charged particle beam writing method according to claim 4 ,
wherein the charged particle beam having passed through the current limiting aperture does not form an image on the blanking aperture.

6. The charged particle beam writing method according to claim 4 ,
wherein, while a lens value of the electron lens is changed, the blanking aperture is scanned with the charged particle beam being deflected, and the value corresponding to the width of the waveform of the distribution of the amount of current is calculated for each lens value,
wherein evaluation patterns are written on a substrate by changing each of the lens value of the electron lens, the offset time, and multiplicity in multiple writing, and
wherein optimal offset times are obtained for the respective widths of the waveforms of the distribution of the amount of current based on sizes of the evaluation patterns, and the given function is calculated, the given function indicating correspondence between the optimal offset times and the widths of the waveforms of the distribution of the amount of current.

7. A charged particle beam writing apparatus comprising:
an emitting unit that emits a charged particle beam;
a current limiting aperture provided with an opening through which part of the charged particle beam passes;
a blanking deflector that switches between beam ON and beam OFF so as to control an irradiation time, the switching between the beam ON and the beam OFF being performed in such a manner that the charged particle beam having passed through the current limiting aperture is deflected;
a blanking aperture that blocks the charged particle beam deflected by the blanking deflector in such a manner that the beam OFF state is entered;
an electron lens disposed between the current limiting aperture and the blanking aperture;
an offset calculation unit that substitutes, into a given function, a lens value which is set for the electron lens and that calculates an offset time; and
a deflection control circuit that controls a deflecting voltage applied to the blanking deflector, on the basis of a corrected irradiation time obtained by adding the offset time to the irradiation time for writing a pattern.

8. The charged particle beam writing apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the charged particle beam having passed through the current limiting aperture forms an image on the blanking aperture.

Assignees

• Nuflare Technology Inc

Inventors

• Nomura Haruyuki

Classifications

• H01J2237/043

  Beam blanking · CPC title

• H01J2237/31776

  Shaped beam · CPC title

• H01J37/3174 Primary

  Particle-beam lithography, e.g. electron beam lithography · CPC title

• H01J2237/30433

  System calibration · CPC title

• H01J37/10

  Lenses · CPC title