Electron beam drawing apparatus and method of the same

• US 6,069,364 A
• Filed: 05/12/1997
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Itoh, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Berman, Jack I.
• Application Number:
  US08/854,386
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 250/492.23
• US Class Current: 250/492.23
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31776 Shaped beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3174 Particle-beam lithography, e.g. electron beam lithography

Abstract

A number of waiting deflections and a connection error between shots can be reduced by scanning and exposing a formed beam having a large area. A continuous scanning deflector and a scan limiter are added to a variable forming type electron beam column and the drawing is performed such that a state in which the electron beam is limited by the scan limiter is continuous to a state in which the electron beam is irradiated on a face of a sample. Accordingly, the number of awaiting deflections and the connection error between shots are reduced. Further, a high-speed and highly accurate drawing of a 45° slanted figure is made possible.

Claims

1. An electron beam drawing apparatus comprising:

an electron source generating an electron beam;

a forming unit forming the electron beam;

a scan deflector scanning the electron beam formed by said forming unit; and

a scan limiter which is disposed between said scan deflector and a sample to be irradiated having an opening, which is larger than the electron beam formed by said forming unit, in the shape of a polygon of which at least one side is inclined;

wherein said deflector scans the electron beam formed by said forming unit such that said electron beam passes over said one side of said polygon.

2. The electron beam drawing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said forming unit forms an electron beam with at least one side which is parallel to the inclined side of said scan limiter.

3. The electron beam drawing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said scan deflector scans said electron beam such that a state in which the electron beam is blocked by the scan limiter is changed to a state in which the electron beam is irradiated on the sample and/or a state in which the electron beam is irradiated on the sample is changed to a state in which the electron beam is blocked by the scan limiter.

4. An electron beam drawing apparatus comprising:

an electron source generating an electron beam;

a group of form openings forming the electron beam;

a forming scan deflector determining an irradiated position of an image from the group of form openings and scanning said formed electron beam in said opening and to areas other than opening the locus of electron beam as it scans having first and second parallel sides;

a scan limiter which is disposed between said scan deflector and a sample to be irradiated having an opening, which is larger than the electron beam formed by said group of form openings, in the shape of a polygon having a plurality of sides of which at least one side is inclined and having a side extending perpendicular to a direction in which said electron beam is scanned;

a controller controlling a beam transmitted through the scan limiter in a desired sectional shape;

a group of condensing lenses condensing the formed beam;

a group of object lenses forming an image of the formed beam on a face of the sample;

a beam irradiation deflector moving the formed beam to the irradiated position of the face of the sample;

a sample moving unit positioning the sample within a deflection range of the beam irradiation deflector;

a blanking device cutting the beam;

wherein said first and second parallel sides of said locus of the formed electron beam which is scanned are not limited by said scan limiter and said locus is drawn on said sample; and

wherein the image of the group of form openings is continuously scanned by the forming scan deflector from a position outside of the scan limiter to an outside position opposite thereof such that said electron beam passes over said side of said polygon perpendicular to the scanning direction, thereby irradiating on the sample a band-like pattern limited by sides of the scan limiter, wherein a locus of the electron beam is drawn on the sample.

5. The electron beam drawing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said forming unit forms an electron beam with at least one side which is parallel to the inclined side of said scan limiter.

6. The electron beam drawing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said deflector deflects said electron beam such that a state in which the electron beam is blocked by the scan limiter is changed to a state in which the electron beam is irradiated on the sample and/or a state in which the electron beam is irradiated on the sample is changed to a state in which the electron beam is blocked by the scan limiter.

7. An electron beam drawing method comprising steps of:

forming an electron beam in a predetermined shape; and

scanning said formed electron beam in an opening of a scan limiter, which is larger than the formed electron beam, and in the shape of a polygon of which at least one side is inclined such that said electron beam passes over said one side of said polygon,

said scanning including moving an irradiated position of the formed electron beam such that a drawing is performed on a face of a sample, wherein a locus of the formed electron beam is drawn on the face of the sample, said drawing including a state in which the electron beam is limited by the scan limiter and a state in which the electron beam is irradiated on the face of the sample.