Charged particle beam exposure method and apparatus

Claim 2

A charged particle beam exposure method for exposing a pattern on an exposing surface in accordance with an exposure process using a charged particle beam which has a rectangular cross sectional shape and is deflected to pass through a selected one of a plurality of apertures provided in a stencil mask thereby for selectively forming the rectangular cross sectional shape of the charged particle beam into respective predetermined shapes, said apertures of the stencil mask including at least a predetermined aperture shape, said charged particle beam exposure method comprising the steps of: storing, prior to an exposure process, deflection data indicative of a deflection quantity of the charged particle beam for forming the rectangular cross sectional shape of the charged particle beam into a predetermined shape of a desired size using and corresponding to the shape of the predetermined aperture of the stencil mask with reference to a reference deflection quantity in accordance with which the cross sectional area of the charged particle beam passing through the predetermined aperture becomes zero; detecting, after start of the exposure process, the position of the charged particle beam on the stencil mask relative to the predetermined aperture when the charged particle beam is deflected by the reference deflection quantity so as to obtain an error between the detected position of the charged particle beam on the stencil mask and the reference position at which the cross sectional area of the charged particle beam passing through the predetermined aperture becomes zero; calculating, based on the obtained error, deflection correction data for correcting the reference deflection quantity so that the charged particle beam is deflected to the reference position on the stencil mask and thereby calibrating the deflection quantity of the charged particle beam; and correcting the stored deflection data based on the calculated deflection correction data when making the exposure process using the predetermined aperture of the stencil mask.

Claim 3

The charged particle beam exposure method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said predetermined aperture of the stencil mask has a non-rectangular shape.

Claim 4

The charged particle beam exposure method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said step of storing the deflection data stores the deflection data for each predetermined aperture of the stencil mask.

Claim 5

The charged particle beam exposure method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said predetermined aperture of the stencil mask has a triangular shape, and the cross sectional area of the charged particle beam passing through the predetermined aperture is variable depending on the extent of overlap of the charged particle beam and the predetermined aperture.

Claim 6

The charged particle beam exposure method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said predetermined aperture is located at a peripheral part of the stencil mask and at least one rectangular aperture is located at a central part of the stencil mask.

Claim 7

The charged particle beam exposure method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reference deflection quantity is obtained by overlapping the charged particle beam and the predetermined aperture of the stencil mask and continuously deflecting the charged particle beam until the extent overlap of the charged particle beam and the predetermined aperture becomes zero.

Claim 8

The charged particle beam exposure method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of detecting the position of the charged particle beam further comprises the step of detecting a current value of the charged particle beam on the exposure surface when the charged particle beam is deflected by the reference deflection quantity, said current value indicating an overlap of the charged particle beam and the predetermined aperture of the stencil mask.

Claim 9

The charged particle beam exposure method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said charged particle beam is an electron beam.

Claim 10

A charged particle beam exposure apparatus using a charged particle beam comprising: means for forming a cross sectional shape of the charged particle beam into a rectangular cross sectional shape; a stencil mask having a plurality of apertures for forming the rectangular cross sectional shape of the charged particle beam into predetermined shapes, said apertures including at least a predetermined aperture; deflecting means responsive to deflection data for deflecting the charged particle beam onto an arbitrary position on said stencil mask and for deflecting the charged particle beam passing through the aperture of said stencil mask onto a predetermined path; a stage on which a substrate to be subjected to exposure is mounted; an optical system for irradiating the charged particle beam on the predetermined path onto the substrate when making an exposure process so as to expose an arbitrary pattern depending on the aperture of said stencil mask through which the charged particle beam passes; memory means for prestoring deflection data indicative of a deflection quantity of the charged particle beam for forming the rectangular cross sectional shape of the charged particle beam into a predetermined shape of a desired size using and corresponding to the shape of the predetermined aperture of the stencil mask with reference to a reference deflection quantity in accordance with which the cross sectional area of the charged particle beam passing through the predetermined aperture becomes zero; detecting means for detecting a position of the charged particle beam on the stencil mask relative to the predetermined aperture when the charged particle beam is deflected by the reference deflection quantity so as to obtain an error between the detected position of the charged particle beam on the stencil mask and the reference position at which the cross sectional area of the charged particle beam passing through the predetermined aperture becomes zero; calculating means responsive to the obtained error for calculating deflection correction data for correcting the reference deflection quantity so that the charged particle beam is deflected to the reference position on the stencil mask and thereby calibrating the deflection quantity of the charged particle beam; and correcting means for correcting the deflection data prestored in said memory means based on the calculated deflection correction data when making the exposure process using the predetermined aperture of the stencil mask.

Claim 11

A charged particle beam exposure apparatus using a charged particle beam comprising: means for forming a cross sectional shape of the charged particle beam into a rectangular cross sectional shape; a stencil mask having a plurality of apertures for forming the rectangular cross sectional shape of the charged particle beam into predetermined shapes, said apertures including at least a predetermined aperture; deflecting means responsive to deflection data for deflecting the charged particle beam onto an arbitrary position on said stencil mask and for deflecting the charged particle beam passing through the aperture of said stencil mask onto a predetermined path; a stage on which a substrate to be subjected to exposure is mounted; an optical system for irradiating the charged particle beam on the predetermined path onto the substrate when making an exposure process so as to expose an arbitrary pattern depending on the aperture of said stencil mask through which the charged particle beam passes; memory means for prestoring deflection data indicative of a deflection quantity of the charged particle beam for forming the rectangular cross sectional shape of the charged particle beam into a predetermined shape of a desired size using and corresponding to the shape of the predetermined aperture of the stencil mask with reference to a reference deflection quantity in accordance with which the cross sectional area of the charged particle beam passing through the predetermined aperture becomes zero; detecting means for detecting a position of the charged particle beam on the stencil mask relative to the predetermined aperture when the charged particle beam is deflected by the reference deflection quantity so as to obtain an error between the detected position of the charged particle beam on the stencil mask and the reference position at which the cross sectional area of the charged particle beam passing through the predetermined aperture becomes zero; calculating means responsive to the obtained error for calculating deflection correction data for correcting the reference deflection quantity so that the charged particle beam is deflected to the reference position on the stencil mask and thereby calibrating the deflection quantity of the charged particle beam; and correcting means for correcting the deflection data prestored in said memory means based on the calculated deflection correction data when making the exposure process using the predetermined aperture of the stencil mask.

Claim 12

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said calculating means stores the deflection correction data in said memory means.

Claim 13

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said correcting means includes an adder for adding the deflection data and the deflection correction data read from said memory means.

Claim 14

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said predetermined aperture of the stencil mask has a non-rectangular shape.

Claim 15

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said memory means prestores the deflection data for each predetermined aperture of the stencil mask.

Claim 16

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said predetermined aperture of the stencil mask has a triangular shape, and the cross sectional area of the charged particle beam passing through the predetermined aperture is variable depending on the extent of overlap of the charged particle beam and the predetermined aperture.

Claim 17

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said predetermined aperture is located at a peripheral part of the stencil mask and at least one rectangular aperture is located at a central part of the stencil mask.

Claim 18

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 9, which further comprises means for controlling said deflecting means to obtain said reference deflection quantity by overlapping the charged particle beam and the predetermined aperture of the stencil mask and continuously deflecting the charged particle beam until the extent of overlap of the charged particle beam and the predetermined aperture becomes zero.

Claim 19

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said detecting means further comprises the step of detecting a current value of the charged particle beam on the stage when the charged particle beam is deflected by the reference deflecting quantity, said current value indicating the extent of overlap of the charged particle beam and the predetermined aperture of the stencil mask.

Claim 20

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said charged particle beam is an electron beam.

Claim 21

The charged particle beam exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said deflecting means includes a plurality of deflectors for deflecting the charged particle beam at a plurality of positions along a propagating path of the charged particle beam.