Blanking aperture array, method of producing blanking aperture array, charged particle beam exposure apparatus and charged particle beam exposure method

Claim 2

A blanking aperture array for use in a charged particle beam exposure comprising a substrate (75, 110), and at least m rows by n columns of apertures (2, 19c, AP) arranged two-dimensionally in said substrate, each of said apertures having a pair of blanking electrodes (3a, 3b, 19a, 19b, E1, E2), where m and n are integers greater than one, characterized in that there are provided: n m-bit shift registers (5, 19d) provided on said substrate (75, 110) for applying voltages dependent on pattern data to m pairs of the blanking electrodes (3a, 3b, 19a, 19b, E1, E2) of said apertures (2, 19c, AP) in the ith column, where i = 1, 2, ..., n, said pattern data being related to a pattern which is to be exposed using the blanking aperture array.

Claim 3

The blanking aperture array as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that there is further provided a buffer (6, 19e) provided on said substrate (75, 110) for supplying the pattern data to said n shift registers (5, 19d).

Claim 4

The blanking aperture array as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said n shift registers (5, 19d) are provided along each row of said apertures (2, 19c, AP) which are arranged in said m rows by n columns.

Claim 5

The blanking aperture array as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said n shift registers (5, 19d) respectively comprise a plurality of shift register parts coupled in series and arranged within a lattice width along a direction of each row of said apertures (2, 19c, AP), each of said shift register parts comprising an inverter and a transistor which are coupled in series, an output of each of said shift register parts being applied to a corresponding one of said blanking electrodes (3a, 3b, 19a, 19b, E1, E2), mutually adjacent ones of said transistors being turned ON/OFF in response to first and second clocks (CLK1, CLK2) via signal lines which are provided within a lattice width along a direction of each column of said apertures.

Claim 6

The blanking aperture array as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said n shift registers (5, 19d) respectively comprise a plurality of circuit parts coupled via a first gate (Q6) and arranged within a lattice width along a direction of each row of said apertures (2, 19c, AP), each of said circuit parts comprising two inverters (Q1-Q4) which are coupled in series via a second gate (Q5), an output of each of said circuit parts being applied to a corresponding one of said blanking electrodes (3a, 3b, 19a, 19b, E1, E2), said first and second gates being turned ON/OFF in response to first and second clocks (CLK1, CLK2) via signal lines which are provided within a lattice width along a direction of each column of said apertures.

Claim 7

The blanking aperture array as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said n shift registers (5, 19d) respectively comprise a plurality of shift register parts coupled in series and arranged within a lattice width along a direction of each row of said apertures (2, 19c, AP), each of said shift register parts comprising an inverter (Q1, Q2) and a gate (Q5) which are coupled, an output of each of said shift register parts being applied to a corresponding one of said blanking electrodes (3a, 3b, 19a, 19b, E1, E2), said gate being turned ON/OFF in response to first and second clocks via signal lines which are provided within a lattice width along a direction of each column of said apertures.

Claim 8

The blanking aperture array as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said n shift registers (5, 19d) also applies voltages dependent on exposure time correction data to said blanking electrodes (3a, 3b, 19a, 19b, E1, E2) of said apertures (2, 19c, AP), so that arbitrary ones of said apertures are used for exposure time correction.

Claim 9

The blanking aperture array as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said m rows by n columns of apertures (2, 19c, AP) and said n shift registers (5, 19d) form an array unit (64, 65), and a plurality of array units are independently provided on said substrate (75, 110).

Claim 10

The blanking aperture array as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that there are further provided at least one of an aperture (66A) for variable rectangular beam shaping and a stencil (66B) having a transmission aperture with a certain pattern provided on said substrate (75, 110) in addition to said array units (64, 65).

Claim 13

The method of producing the blanking aperture array as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that said step of forming apertures includes the substeps of: forming a pair of grooves (116) in said epitaxial layer (114) which reach said semiconductor substrate (110) at positions on both confronting sides of each aperture by a trench etching; forming an insulator layer (118) on a surface of each pair of said grooves; filling an electrode material (120) within each pair of said grooves; removing said epitaxial layer and said impurity diffusion layer between each of said pair of grooves by an etching; and forming an aperture by between each pair of said grooves by a taper etching made from a bottom surface of said semiconductor substrate.

Claim 14

The method of producing the blanking aperture array as claimed in claim 10 or 11, characterized in that said step of connecting the blanking electrodes (E1, E2) connects said other (E1) of the pair of blanking electrodes of each aperture alternately to first and second potential lines along said first direction, said first potential line having a higher potential than said second potential line.

Claim 15

A charged particle beam exposure apparatus comprising a blanking aperture array (1, 19A) which has a substrate (75, 110) and m rows and n columns of apertures (2, 19c, AP) arranged two-dimensionally in said substrate, each of said apertures having a pair of blanking electrodes (3a, 3b, 19a, 19b, E1, E2), and voltage applying means for applying to said blanking electrodes of each of said apertures a voltage dependent on a pattern data which describes a pattern which is to be exposed so that a charged particle beam transmitted through said apertures is turned ON/OFF depending on the applied voltage, and a stage (22) which carries an object (24) on which the pattern is exposed by the charged particle beam transmitted through said apertures, characterized in that said voltage applying means includes n m-bit shift registers (5, 19d) which are formed on said substrate (75, 110) of said blanking aperture array (1, 19A), said n shift registers applying to m pairs of said blanking electrodes (3a, 3b, 19a, 19b, E1, E2) of each of said apertures (2, 19c, AP) in the ith column the voltage dependent on the pattern data which describes said pattern which is to be exposed on said object (24), where i = 1, 2, ..., n.

Claim 16

A charged particle beam exposure apparatus comprising a blanking aperture array (1, 19A) which has a substrate (75, 110) and m rows and n columns of apertures (2, 19c, AP) arranged two-dimensionally in said substrate, each of said apertures having a pair of blanking electrodes (3a, 3b, 19a, 19b, E1, E2), and voltage applying means for applying to said blanking electrodes of each of said apertures a voltage dependent on a pattern data which describes a pattern which is to be exposed so that a charged particle beam transmitted through said apertures is turned ON/OFF depending on the applied voltage, and a stage (22) which carries an object (24) on which the pattern is exposed by the charged particle beam transmitted through said apertures, characterized in that said voltage applying means includes n m-bit shift registers (5, 19d) which are formed on said substrate (75, 110) of said blanking aperture array (1, 19A), said n shift registers applying to m pairs of said blanking electrodes (3a, 3b, 19a, 19b, E1, E2) of each of said apertures (2, 19c, AP) in the ith column the voltage dependent on the pattern data which describes said pattern which is to be exposed on said object (24), where i = 1, 2, ..., n.

Claim 17

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that said blanking aperture array (1, 19A) further comprises a buffer (6, 19e) provided on said substrate (75, 110) for supplying the pattern data to said n shift registers (5, 19d).

Claim 18

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 13 or 14, characterized in that said n shift registers (5, 19d) of said blanking aperture array (1, 19A) are provided along each row of said apertures (2, 19c, AP) which are arranged in said m rows by n columns.

Claim 19

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in any of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that said n shift registers (5, 19d) of said blanking aperture array (1, 19A) respectively comprise a plurality of shift register parts coupled in series and arranged within a lattice width along a direction of each row of said apertures (2, 19c, AP), each of said shift register parts comprising an inverter and a transistor which are coupled in series, an output of each of said shift register parts being applied to a corresponding one of said blanking electrodes (3a, 3b, 19a, 19b, E1, E2), mutually adjacent ones of said transistors being turned ON/OFF in response to first and second clocks (CLK1, CLK2) via signal lines which are provided within a lattice width along a direction of each column of said apertures.

Claim 20

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in any of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that said n shift registers (5, 19d) of said blanking aperture array (1, 19A) respectively comprise a plurality of circuit parts coupled via a first gate (Q6) and arranged within a lattice width along a direction of each row of said apertures (2, 19c, AP), each of said circuit parts comprising two inverters (Q1-Q4) which are coupled in series via a second gate (Q5), an output of each of said circuit parts being applied to a corresponding one of said blanking electrodes (3a, 3b, 19a, 19b, E1, E2), said first and second gates being turned ON/OFF in response to first and second clocks (CLK1, CLK2) via signal lines which are provided within a lattice width along a direction of each column of said apertures.

Claim 21

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in any of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that said n shift registers (5, 19d) of said blanking aperture array (1, 19A) respectively comprise a plurality of shift register parts coupled in series and arranged within a lattice width along a direction of each row of said apertures (2, 19c, AP), each of said shift register parts comprising an inverter (Q1, Q2) and a gate (Q5) which are coupled, an output of each of said shift register parts being applied to a corresponding one of said blanking electrodes (3a, 3b, 19a, 19b, E1, E2), said gate being turned ON/OFF in response to first and second clocks (CLK1, CLK2) via signal lines which are provided within a lattice width along a direction of each column of said apertures.

Claim 22

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in any of claims 13 to 18, characterized in that said n shift registers (5, 19d) of said blanking aperture array (1, 19A) also applies voltages dependent on exposure time correction data to said blanking electrodes (3a, 3b, 19a, 19b, E1, E2) of said apertures (2, 19c, AP), so that arbitrary ones of said apertures are used for exposure time correction.

Claim 23

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in any of claims 13 to 19, characterized in that said m rows by n columns of apertures (2, 19c, AP) and said n shift registers (5, 19d) form an array unit (64, 65) and a plurality of array units are independently provided on said substrate (75, 110), and said charged particle beam exposure apparatus further comprises means for applying a voltage dependent on a next pattern data to one array unit during an exposure using another array unit so as to change an arrangement of ON apertures to that of a next pattern which is to be exposed on said object.

Claim 24

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that there is further provided at least one of an aperture (66A) for variable rectangular beam shaping and a stencil (66B) having a transmission aperture with a certain pattern provided on said substrate (75, 110) in addition to said array units (64, 65), one of said aperture of said array unit, said aperture for variable rectangular beam shaping and said stencil being used for the exposure.

Claim 25

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in any of claims 13 to 21, characterized in that said shift registers (5, 19d) supply the voltage dependent on said pattern data to said blanking electrodes (3a, 3b, 19a, 19b, E1, E2) to form an arrangement of ON apertures into an arbitrary shape prior to the exposure, said charged particle beam having a cross section which is shaped to said arbitrary shape at a time of the exposure.

Claim 26

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in any of claims 13 to 22, characterized in that there is further provided deflecting and converging means (35, 17, 20) for projecting onto said object (24) the charged particle beam which is selected and patterned by said blanking aperture array (1, 19A).

Claim 27

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 23, characterized in that there are further provided moving means (51) for moving said stage and control means (25, 48, 35) for controlling said deflecting and converging means (35, 17, 20) and said moving means, said n shift registers (5, 19d) simultaneously shifting the pattern data which is successively input n bits at a time along the column direction in response to a clock, said control means controlling said moving means and said deflecting and converging means so that the charged particle beam which is selected and patterned by said blanking aperture array is projected at the same position on said object (24) while the pattern data is shifted in said shift registers.

Claim 28

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that said n shift registers (5, 19d) successively receive different pattern data n bits at a time along the column direction.

Claim 29

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in any of claims 13 to 23, characterized in that said n shift registers (5, 19d) simultaneously shift the pattern data which is successively input n bits at a time along the column direction in response to a clock, and the exposure by the charged particle beam is made after a shift operation with respect to the pattern data is finished by said shift registers.

Claim 30

A charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that said blanking aperture array (1, 19A) includes first and second masks (75A, 75B), said first mask comprising a simple rectangular aperture, an aperture for variable rectangular beam shaping and a stencil, said second mask comprising a simple rectangular aperture, a blanking rectangular aperture and the array of said apertures and said shift registers, said first and second masks being overlapped so that the simple rectangular aperture of said first mask corresponds to the array part of said second mask and the simple rectangular aperture or blanking rectangular aperture of said second mask corresponds to the variable rectangular aperture and stencil part of said first mask.

Claim 31

A charged particle beam exposure apparatus comprising a stage (22) on which an object (24) is placed, characterized in that there are provided: charged particle beam generating means (1, 19A) including m rows by n columns of variable control charged particle beam generating elements (BG1, BG2) for generating a charged particle beam corresponding to each of of a pattern which is to be exposed on said object (24); n m-bit shift registers (5, 19d) provided along each row of said charged particle beam generating elements for applying a voltage dependent on a pattern data to each of said charged particle beam generating elements, said pattern data describing the pattern which is to be exposed on said object; a buffer (6, 19e) for supplying the pattern data to said n shift registers; and deflecting and converging means (35, 17, 20) for projecting the charged particle beam from said charged particle beam generating means on said object.

Claim 32

A charged particle beam exposure apparatus comprising a stage (22) on which an object (24) is placed, characterized in that there are provided: charged particle beam generating means (1, 19A) including m rows by n columns of variable control charged particle beam generating elements (BG1, BG2) for generating a charged particle beam corresponding to each of of a pattern which is to be exposed on said object (24); n m-bit shift registers (5, 19d) provided along each row of said charged particle beam generating elements for applying a voltage dependent on a pattern data to each of said charged particle beam generating elements, said pattern data describing the pattern which is to be exposed on said object; a buffer (6, 19e) for supplying the pattern data to said n shift registers; and deflecting and converging means (35, 17, 20) for projecting the charged particle beam from said charged particle beam generating means on said object.

Claim 33

A charged particle beam exposure method for exposing an object (24) in a charged particle beam exposure apparatus which comprises a stage (22) on which said object is placed, charged particle beam generating means (1, 19A) including m rows by n columns of variable control charged particle beam generating elements (BG1, BG2) for generating a charged particle beam corresponding to each of of a pattern which is to be exposed on said object, n m-bit shift registers (5, 19d) provided along each row of said charged particle beam generating elements for applying a voltage dependent on a pattern data to each of said charged particle beam generating elements, said pattern data describing the pattern which is to be exposed on said object, a buffer (6, 19e) for supplying the pattern data to said n shift registers, and deflecting and converging means (35, 17, 20) for projecting the charged particle beam from said charged particle beam generating means on said object, said charged particle beam exposure method characterized by the steps of: successively inputting the pattern data to said n shift registers (5, 19d) from said buffer (6, 19e) n bits at a time along the column direction; simultaneously shifting the pattern data in said n shift registers in response to a clock; and controlling a movement of said stage (22) and said deflecting and converging means (35, 17, 20) so that the charged particle beam which is selected and patterned by said charged particle beam generating means is projected at the same position on said object (24).

Claim 34

A charged particle beam exposure method for exposing an object (24) in a charged particle beam exposure apparatus which comprises a stage (22) on which said object is placed, charged particle beam generating means (1, 19A) including m rows by n columns of variable control charged particle beam generating elements (BG1, BG2) for generating a charged particle beam corresponding to each of of a pattern which is to be exposed on said object, n m-bit shift registers (5, 19d) provided along each row of said charged particle beam generating elements for applying a voltage dependent on a pattern data to each of said charged particle beam generating elements, said pattern data describing the pattern which is to be exposed on said object, a buffer (6, 19e) for supplying the pattern data to said n shift registers, and deflecting and converging means (35, 17, 20) for projecting the charged particle beam from said charged particle beam generating means on said object, said charged particle beam exposure method characterized by the steps of: successively inputting the pattern data to said n shift registers (5, 19d) from said buffer (6, 19e) n bits at a time along the column direction; simultaneously shifting the pattern data in said n shift registers in response to a clock; and controlling a movement of said stage (22) and said deflecting and converging means (35, 17, 20) so that the charged particle beam which is selected and patterned by said charged particle beam generating means is projected at the same position on said object (24).

Claim 35

The charged particle beam exposure method as claimed in claim 29, characterized in that said buffer (6, 19e) also supplies correction data to said n shift registers (5, 19d) in addition to the pattern data, and arbitrary charged particle beam generating elements (BG1, BG2) of said charged particle beam generating means (1, 19A) are used for correcting an exposure time responsive to the correction data.