Electron beam exposure system and an apparatus for carrying out the same

Claim 2

An electron beam exposure system in which a rectangular electron beam is radiated to a medium placed on a continuously moving stage comprising: a processor for providing a deflection data of said electron beam; means for providing a position data of said medium on said continuously moving stage; means for providing a beam deflection amount data in accordance with both of said deflection data and said position data; a correction memory for storing electron beam correction data for at least one of a field curvature, an astigmatism and a distortion corresponding to the deflection amount data of the electron beam; and control means for adjusting said electron beam in accordance with said electron beam correction data corresponding to said deflection amount data read out from said correction memory.

Claim 3

An electron beam exposure apparatus comprising: exposing means including a continuously moveable stage, a mechanism for projecting a rectangular electron beam in a variable cross-section onto a medium placed on said continuously moving stage, a deflection coil for said electron beam and electron beam adjusting means for at least one of a field curvature, astigmatism and distortion, means for outputting a current position signal of said continuously moving stage, means for storing and processing position data of said medium positioned on said continuously moving stage and said electron beam deflection, a subtractor for obtaining a difference between an output of said position data processing means and an output of said current position signal output means, an amplifier which inputs an output of said subtractor and outputs a signal for activating said deflection coil, and correction memory means for storing electron beam correction data for at least one of the field curvature, and astigmatism and the distortion corresponding to each deflection angle of the electron beam and activating said electron beam adjusting means in accordance with said electron beam correction data.

Claim 4

An electron beam exposure apparatus comprising: exposing means including a continuously moveable stage, a mechanism for projecting a rectangular electron beam in a variable cross-section onto a medium placed on said continuously moving stage, a deflection coil for said electron beam and electron beam adjusting means for at least one of a field curvature, astigmatism and distortion, means for outputting a current position signal of said continuously moving stage, means for storing and processing position data of said medium positioned on said continuously moving stage and said electron beam deflection, a subtractor for obtaining a difference between an output of said position data processing means and an output of said current position signal output means, an amplifier which inputs an output of said subtractor and outputs a signal for activating said deflection coil, and correction memory means for storing electron beam correction data for at least one of the field curvature, and astigmatism and the distortion corresponding to each deflection angle of the electron beam and activating said electron beam adjusting means in accordance with said electron beam correction data.

Claim 5

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 2, wherein said stage is continuously moved in an X and Y direction, and wherein said current position signal output means comprises an interferometer for detecting the position of said stage in the X and Y directions.

Claim 6

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 2 or 3, wherein said storing and processing means comprises a CPU, a memory for storing pattern data of said medium, and a register for storing certain coordinates of said medium.

Claim 7

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 4, wherein said medium comprises a wafer having a plurality of chips of a predetermined size and arranged in the form of a matrix on said wafer, each chip consisting of three exposing fields, and each field being of a predetermined size and having exposing patterns to be formed therein, and wherein the positional coordinates of the patterns, the length of the pattern dimension, and the coordinates of the exposing fields, are provided to said CPU.

Claim 8

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 5, wherein the positional coordinates and pattern dimensions of said patterns and each of said fields of said chips are stored in said pattern memory and the coordinates of each exposing field are stored in said register as inputted from said CPU.

Claim 9

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 6, wherein said storing and processing means further compises an adder for adding the data stored in said register and said pattern memory and having an output signal to said subtractor which represents the coordinates of the pattern in the relevant chip viewed from the field coordinate of the wafer.

Claim 10

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 7, wherein said subtractor obtains the difference between the signal from said adder and said current position signal output means.

Claim 11

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 8, wherein said signal is continuously moved in an X and Y direction, and wherein said current position signal output means comprises an interferometer for detecting the position of said stage in the X and Y directions.

Claim 12

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 2, wherein said amplifier outputs a signal for activating said deflection coil in accordance with the differential signal output of said subtractor and wherein the input to said correction memory means is the differential output signal of said subtractor.

Claim 13

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 9, wherein said amplifier outputs a signal for activating said deflection coil in accordance with the differential signal output of said subtractor and wherein the input to said correction memory means is the differential output signal of said subtractor.

Claim 14

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 2, wherein said electron beam adjusting means comprises a focus coil for ajusting field curvature, a stigmator coil adjusting astigmatism, and deflection plates for adjusting distortion for said electron beam in response to an output signal from said correction memory means.

Claim 15

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 12, further comprising amplifiers for converting from digital to analog the output signal of said correction memory means and for activating said focus coil, said stigmator coil, and said distortion deflecting plates.

Claim 16

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 12 or 13, wherein said focus coil comprises a ring-shaped coil surrounding said electron beam.

Claim 17

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 12 or 13, wherein said stigmator coil comprises a plurality of solenoid coils arranged in a common plane in intervals around said electron beam.

Claim 18

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 15, wherein said solenoid coils have the same number of turns and are connected in series for forming a current and with north and south alternating poles between said solenoid coils for shaping said electron beam.

Claim 19

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 15, wherein said solenoid coils comprise eight solenoid coils arranged around said electron beam at intervals of approximately 45°.

Claim 20

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 16, wherein said solenoid coils comprise eight solenoid coils arranged around said electron beam at intervals of approximately 45°.

Claim 21

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 8, wherein said electron beam adjusting means comprises a focus coil for adjusting field curvature, a stigmator coil for adjusting atigmatism, and deflection plates for adjusting distortion for said electron beam in response to an output signal from said correction memory means.

Claim 22

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 19, further comprising amplifiers for converting from digital to analog the output signal of said correction memory means and for activating said focus coil, said stigmator coil, and said distortion deflecting plates.

Claim 23

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 20, wherein said focus coil comprises a ring-shaped coil surrounding said electron beam.

Claim 24

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 19, wherein said stigmator coil comprises a plurality of solenoid coils arranged in a common plane in intervals around said electron beam.

Claim 25

The electron beam exposure apparatus of claim 2 or 12, wherein said exposing means provides a rectangular electron beam with deflection of a large deflection angle.