IP Library Granted Patent US 12,658,405
Granted Patent B2
US 12,658,405 · App. 18/053,135 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Charged particle beam writing method and charged particle beam writing apparatus

Inventors: Haruyuki Nomura (Yokohama, JP); Takahito Nakayama (Yokohama, JP)
Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
H01J37/3045G03F7/2059H01J37/244H01J37/3174H01J37/10H01J37/1472H01J37/21H01J2237/20221H01J2237/24507H01J2237/24578
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,658,405
App. No.
18/053,135
Granted
Jun 16, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to correct a beam irradiation position shift caused by charging phenomena with high accuracy. A charged particle beam writing method includes virtually dividing a writing region of the substrate so as to have a predetermined mesh size and calculating a pattern density distribution representing an arrangement ratio of the pattern for each mesh region, calculating a dose distribution using the pattern density distribution, calculating an irradiation amount distribution using the pattern density distribution and the dose distribution, calculating a fogging charged particle amount distribution, calculating a charge amount distribution due to direct charge and a charge amount distribution due to fogging charge, calculating a position shift of a writing position based on the charge amount distribution due to direct charge and the charge amount distribution due to fogging charge, correcting an irradiation position using the position shift, and irradiating the corrected irradiation position with the charged particle beam with which a potential of a surface of the substrate becomes higher than a potential of a bottom surface of ae potential regulation member.

Claims (30)

1 . A charged particle beam writing method in which a charged particle beam is deflected by a deflector, focusing is performed by an objective lens, and a pattern is written on a substrate on a stage, the charged particle beam writing method comprising:

virtually dividing a writing region of the substrate so as to have a predetermined mesh size and calculating a pattern density distribution representing an arrangement ratio of the pattern for each mesh region;

calculating a dose distribution representing a dose for each mesh region using the pattern density distribution;

calculating an irradiation amount distribution of the charged particle beam irradiated to the substrate using the pattern density distribution and the dose distribution;

calculating a fogging charged particle amount distribution by convolving a distribution function for fogging charged particles with the irradiation amount distribution;

calculating a charge amount distribution due to direct charge using the pattern density distribution, the dose distribution, and the irradiation amount distribution, and calculating a charge amount distribution due to fogging charge using the fogging charged particle amount distribution;

calculating a first position shift of a writing position based on the charge amount distribution due to direct charge and the charge amount distribution due to fogging charge;

applying a predetermined voltage to at least one of the substrate and a potential regulation member such that a potential of a surface of the substrate becomes higher than a potential of a bottom surface of the potential regulation member arranged at a position facing the substrate; and

irradiating a corrected irradiation position based on the first position shift with the charged particle beam,

wherein the predetermined voltage is obtained in advance based on a relationship between an application voltage to at least one of the substrate and the potential regulation member and a second position shift of the writing position, which is caused by a shift of a center of a low energy fogging charged particle amount distribution, so that the second position shift is smaller than a predetermined value, and

wherein the low energy fogging charged particle is a secondary charged particle generated by irradiation of the charged particle beam onto the substrate and deposited onto the substrate.

2 . The charged particle beam writing method according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is caused to have a positive potential.

3 . The charged particle beam writing method according to claim 2 , wherein a potential of a mark for calibration is made equal to that of the substrate, the mark being provided on the stage.

4 . The charged particle beam writing method according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of the potential regulation member is caused to have a negative potential.

5 . The charged particle beam writing method according to claim 1 , wherein focus adjustment is performed on the charged particle beam by controlling the voltage applied to at least one of the substrate or the potential regulation member.

6 . A charged particle beam writing apparatus that causes a deflector to deflect a charged particle beam, performs focusing using an objective lens, and writes a pattern on a substrate on a stage, the charged particle beam writing apparatus comprising:

a discharger discharging the charged particle beam;

a pattern density distribution calculator virtually dividing a writing region of the substrate in a mesh-like manner and calculating a pattern density distribution representing an arrangement ratio of the pattern for each mesh region;

a dose distribution calculator calculating a dose distribution representing a dose for each mesh region using the pattern density distribution;

an irradiation amount distribution calculator calculating an irradiation amount distribution of the charged particle beam discharged from the discharger and irradiated to the substrate using the pattern density distribution and the dose distribution;

a fogging charged particle amount distribution calculator calculating a fogging charged particle amount distribution by convolving a distribution function for fogging charged particles with the irradiation amount distribution;

a charge amount distribution calculator calculating a charge amount distribution due to direct charge using the pattern density distribution, the dose distribution, and the irradiation amount distribution, and calculating a charge amount distribution due to fogging charge using the fogging charged particle amount distribution;

a position shift distribution calculator calculating, for writing positions, a first position shift of each writing position based on the charge amount distribution due to direct charge and the charge amount distribution due to fogging charge;

a potential regulation member that is arranged at a position facing the substrate and is controlled to have a predetermined potential;

a voltage control circuit applying a predetermined voltage to at least one of the substrate and the potential regulation member such that a potential of a surface of the substrate becomes higher than a potential of a bottom surface of the potential regulation member;

a writer irradiating a corrected irradiation position based on the first position shift with the charged particle beam in a state where an electric field is formed; and

a storage device storing the predetermined voltage as application voltage information, the predetermined voltage being obtained in advance based on a relationship between an application voltage to at least one of the substrate and the potential regulation member and a second position shift of the writing position, which is caused by a shift of a center of a low energy fogging charged particle amount distribution, so that the second position shift is smaller than a predetermined value,

wherein the low energy fogging charged particle is a secondary charged particle generated by irradiation of the charged particle beam onto the substrate and deposited onto the substrate.

7 . The charged particle beam writing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the voltage control circuit applies a positive potential to the substrate, and

a potential of a mark for calibration is set to be equal to that of the substrate, the mark being provided on the stage.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 10, 2023
From: NOMURA, HARUYUKI; NAKAYAMA, TAKAHITO
To: NUFLARE TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 063277/0997 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-083979 · May 12, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2021015025 · Apr 9, 2021
Related Publication 20230102923A1 · Mar 30, 2023
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