Electron beam writing apparatus, and method for adjusting convergence half angle of electron beam

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9336980-B2
Application number	US-201514663971-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2015
Priority date	Apr 16, 2014
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

An electron beam writing apparatus includes an electron gun system to emit an electron beam, a height adjustment unit, arranged at the downstream side compared to the electron gun system with respect to the optical axis direction, to variably adjust a height position of the electron gun system, an electron lens, arranged at the downstream side compared to the height adjustment unit with respect to the optical axis direction, to converge the electron beam, a lens control unit to control, for each variably adjusted and changed height position of the electron gun system, the electron lens such that the electron beam forms a crossover at a predetermined position, and an objective lens, arranged at the downstream side compared to the electron lens with respect to the optical axis direction, to focus the electron beam having passed the electron lens.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electron beam writing apparatus comprising:
an electron gun system configured to emit an electron beam;
a height adjustment unit arranged at a downstream side compared to the electron gun system with respect to an optical axis direction and configured to variably adjust a height position of the electron gun system;
an electron lens arranged at the downstream side compared to the height adjustment unit with respect to the optical axis direction and configured to converge the electron beam;
a lens control unit configured to control, for each variably adjusted and changed height position of the electron gun system, the electron lens such that the electron beam forms a crossover at a predetermined position; and
an objective lens arranged at the downstream side compared to the electron lens with respect to the optical axis direction and configured to focus the electron beam having passed the electron lens.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the height adjustment unit includes a plurality of spacer members.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein thicknesses in height of the plurality of spacer members are different from each other.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the height adjustment unit includes an elastic piping and an elevating mechanism that elevates the electron gun system.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:
a blanking deflector arranged between the electron lens and the objective lens and configured to perform blanking deflection of the electron beam having passed the height adjustment unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the lens control unit controls the electron lens such that the electron beam forms the crossover at a central height position of the blanking deflector by the electron lens.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an electron optical column in which the electron lens and the objective lens are arranged, wherein
the height adjustment unit is arranged on the electron optical column.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the height adjustment unit supports the electron gun system.

9. A method for adjusting a convergence half angle of an electron beam comprising:
changing a height position of an electron gun system that emits an electron beam; and
adjusting a crossover height position of the electron beam emitted from the electron gun system and having passed through the electron lens to be a crossover height position of an electron beam before changing the height position of the electron gun system.

10. A method for adjusting a convergence half angle of an electron beam comprising:
adjusting a height position of an electron gun system that emits an electron beam to be a first position when a first writing mode is selected;
adjusting a crossover height position of the electron beam emitted from the electron gun system and having passed through an electron lens to be a second position when the first writing mode is selected;
adjusting the height position of the electron gun system to be a third position higher than the first position with respect to an optical axis direction when the first writing mode is switched to a second writing mode; and
making an adjustment to maintain the crossover height position of the electron beam emitted from the electron gun system and having passed through the electron lens to be the second position when the second writing mode is selected.

Assignees

• Nuflare Technology Inc

Inventors

• Nomura Haruyuki

Classifications

• H01J37/1471 Primary

  for centering, aligning or positioning of ray or beam · CPC title

• H01J37/045

  Beam blanking or chopping, i.e. arrangements for momentarily interrupting exposure to the discharge · CPC title

• H01J2237/1502

  Mechanical adjustments · CPC title

• H01J37/10

  Lenses · CPC title

• H01J2237/043

  Beam blanking · CPC title