Blanking device for multi-beam of charged particle writing apparatus using multi-beam of charged particle and defective beam blocking method for multi-beam of charged particle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9805905-B2
Application number	US-201514838907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2015
Priority date	Sep 3, 2014
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A blanking device for multi-beams includes arrayed plural separate blanking systems, each performing blanking control switching a corresponding beam of multi charged particle beams between a beam ON state and a beam OFF state and each including a first electrode, a first potential applying mechanism applying two different potentials selectively to the first electrode for the blanking control, and a second electrode performing blanking deflection of the corresponding beam, the second electrode being grounded and paired with the first electrode, and a potential change mechanism changing a potential of the second electrode from a ground potential to another potential, wherein when a potential of the first electrode included in one of the separate blanking systems is fixed to the ground potential, the potential change mechanism changes the potential of the second electrode corresponding to the first electrode fixed to the ground potential, from the ground potential to the another potential.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A blanking device for multi-beam of charged particles comprising:
a plurality of separate blanking systems which are arrayed and each of which is configured to provide blanking control that switch a corresponding beam of multi-beam of charged particles between a beam ON state and a beam OFF state, the each of the plurality of separate blanking systems including
a first electrode,
a first potential applying control circuit configured to apply two different potentials selectively to the first electrode for the blanking control,
a second electrode configured to perform blanking deflection of the corresponding beam, the second electrode being grounded and paired with the first electrode, and
a potential change control circuit configured to change a potential of the second electrode from a ground potential to another potential,

wherein the first electrode is connected to a ground via the first potential applying control circuit, the second electrode is grounded via a circuit element outside of the potential change control circuit, in a normal blanking control state the first potential applying control circuit is configured to alternately switch application of the ground potential and the another potential to the first electrode, and in an abnormal blanking control state in which a potential of the first electrode included in one of the plurality of separate blanking systems is fixed to the ground potential such that switching application of the two different potentials cannot be applied to the first electrode, the potential change control circuit is configured to change the potential of the second electrode corresponding to the first electrode fixed to the ground potential, from the ground potential to the another potential.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the second electrode of each of the plurality of separate blanking systems is assigned to any one of a plurality of groups, and
the potential change control circuit is arranged for each of the plurality of groups.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of separate blanking systems further includes a pull-up resistor whose one end is connected to the first electrode and other end is applied with a positive potential.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the plurality of separate blanking systems further includes a first resistor arranged between the first potential applying mechanism and the first electrode corresponding to the first potential applying control circuit, and
the potential change control circuit includes a second potential applying control circuit that selectively applies two different potentials including a positive potential to the second electrode whose potential is to be changed.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the plurality of separate blanking systems further includes a first resistor arranged between the potential change mechanism and the second electrode corresponding to the potential change control circuit, and
the potential change control circuit includes a second potential applying control circuit that selectively applies two different potentials to the second electrode whose potential is to be changed.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the plurality of separate blanking systems further includes a pull-down resistor arranged between the second electrode and ground, and
the potential change control circuit includes a switch, one end of which is connected to the second electrode whose potential is to be changed and other end is applied with a positive potential.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the plurality of separate blanking systems further includes a pull-down resistor arranged between the second electrode and ground, and
the potential change control circuit includes a switch, one end of which is connected to the second electrode whose potential is to be changed and other end is applied with a negative potential.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the potential change control circuit includes a second potential applying control circuit that selectively applies two different potentials including a negative potential to the second electrode whose potential is to be changed.

9. A writing apparatus using multi-beam of charged particles comprising:
a stage configured to mount a target object thereon and to be continuously movable;
an emission unit configured to emit a charged particles beam;
an aperture member, in which a plurality of openings are formed, configured to form multi-beams by making a region including a whole of the plurality of openings irradiated by the charged particle beam and letting portions of the charged particle beam respectively pass through a corresponding opening of the plurality of openings;
a blanking device for multi-beam of charged particles according to claim 1 configured to respectively perform blanking deflection for a corresponding beam of the multi-beams having passed through the plurality of openings of the aperture member; and
a blanking aperture member configured to block each beam of the multi-beams which has been deflected to be in an OFF state by the blanking device.

10. A method for blocking defective beams of multi-beam of charged particles comprising:
selectively applying two different potentials, for blanking control in a normal blanking control state, for switching a corresponding beam of multi-beam of charged particles between a beam ON state and a beam OFF state, to a first electrode using a first potential applying control circuit configured to apply the two different potential selectively, wherein the first electrode is connected to a ground via the first potential applying control circuit;
changing a potential of a second electrode, which is grounded and paired with the first electrode to perform blanking deflection in an abnormal blanking control state, of a corresponding beam, to another potential from a ground potential using a potential change control circuit, wherein the second electrode is grounded via a circuit element outside of the potential change control circuit, when a potential of the first electrode is fixed to the ground potential such that switching of the two different potentials cannot be applied to the first electrode; and
blocking the corresponding beam, which has been deflected by the second electrode, by a blanking aperture member.

Assignees

• Nuflare Technology Inc

Inventors

• Yamashita Hiroshi
• Yoshikawa Ryoichi
• Chiba Kazuhiro
• Matsumoto Hiroshi

Classifications

• H01J2237/043

  Beam blanking · CPC title

• H01J37/045 Primary

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

• H01J2237/3175

  Lithography · CPC title

• H01J2237/30483

  Scanning · CPC title

• H01J2237/20292

  Means for position and/or orientation registration · CPC title