| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20080203317 | MULTI-BEAM DEFLECTOR ARRAY DEVICE FOR MASKLESS PARTICLE-BEAM PROCESSING - The invention relates to a multi-beam deflector array device for use in a particle-beam exposure apparatus employing a beam of charged particles, the multi-beam deflector array device having a plate-like shape with a membrane region, the membrane region including a first side facing towards the incoming beam of particles, an array of apertures, each aperture allowing passage of a corresponding beamlet formed out of the beam of particles, a plurality of depressions, each depression being associated with at least one aperture, and an array of electrodes, each aperture being associated with at least one electrode and each electrode being located in a depression, the electrodes being configured to realize a non-deflecting state, wherein the particles that pass through the apertures are allowed to travel along a desired path, and a deflecting state, wherein the particles are deflected off the desired path. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080237460 | METHOD FOR MASKLESS PARTICLE-BEAM EXPOSURE - For maskless irradiating a target with a beam of energetic electrically charged particles using a pattern definition means with a plurality of apertures and imaging the apertures in the pattern definition means onto a target which moves (v) relative to the pattern definition means laterally to the axis, the location of the image is moved along with the target, for a pixel exposure period within which a distance of relative movement of the target is covered which is at least a multiple of the width (w) of the aperture images as measured on the target, and after said pixel exposure period the location of the beam image is changed, which change of location generally compensates the overall movement of the location of the beam image. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080283767 | PATTERN DEFINITION DEVICE HAVING DISTINCT COUNTER-ELECTRODE ARRAY PLATE - A multi-beam pattern definition device for use in a particle-beam processing or inspection apparatus, which is set up to be irradiated with a beam of electrically charged particles and allow passage of the beam through a plurality of apertures thus forming beamlets, which are imaged onto a target. A deflection array has a plurality of electrostatic deflector electrodes for each beamlet. Each deflector electrode can be applied an electrostatic potential individually. Counter electrodes are electrically connected to a counter potential independently of the deflection array through a counter-electrode array. The counter potentials may be a common ground potential or individual potentials in order to improve system reliability. In conjunction with an associated counter electrode, each deflector electrode deflects its beamlet sufficiently to deflect the beamlet off its nominal path when applied an activating voltage against the respective counter electrode. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20090026389 | MULTI-BEAM SOURCE - A multi-beam source for generating a plurality of beamlets of energetic electrically charged particles. The multi-beam source includes an illumination system generating an illuminating beam of charged particles and a beam-forming system being arranged after the illumination system as seen in the direction of the beam, adapted to form a plurality of telecentric or homocentric beamlets out of the illuminating beam. The beam forming system includes a beam-splitter and an electrical zone device, the electrical zone having a composite electrode composed of a plurality of substantially planar partial electrodes, adapted to be applied different electrostatic potentials and thus influencing the beamlets. | 01-29-2009 |
| 20090200495 | PARTICLE-BEAM EXPOSURE APPARATUS WITH OVERALL-MODULATION OF A PATTERNED BEAM - In a charged-particle exposure apparatus for exposure of a target with a beam of electrically charged particles, the illumination system includes a deflector device adapted to vary the direction of incidence of the illuminating beam upon the pattern definition device, the pattern definition device forms the shape of the illuminating beam into a desired pattern, and the projection optics system projects an image of the beam shape defined in the pattern definition device onto the target; the projection optics system includes a blocking aperture device having an opening and being adapted to block passage of beams traversing outside the opening, namely when the deflector device is activated to tilt the beamlet by a sufficient angle from its non-deflected path, e.g., for blanking out during the process of loading a pattern into the pattern definition device. | 08-13-2009 |
| 20100038554 | COMPENSATION OF DOSE INHOMOGENEITY AND IMAGE DISTORTION - An improved aperture arrangement in a device for defining a pattern on a target, for use in a particle-beam exposure apparatus, by being irradiated with a beam of electrically charged particles and allowing passage of the beam only through a plurality of apertures. The device includes an aperture array having a plurality of apertures of identical shape defining the shape and relative position of beamlets permeating the apertures. A blanking device switches off the passage of selected beamlets permeating the apertures and defined by them. The apertures are arranged on the aperture array according to an arrangement deviating from a regular arrangement by small deviations, adjusting for distortions caused by the particle-beam exposure apparatus, and the size of the apertures of the aperture array differs across the aperture array in order to allow for an adjustment of the current radiated on the target through the apertures and the corresponding openings. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100124722 | CONSTANT CURRENT MULTI-BEAM PATTERNING - The invention relates to a method for forming a pattern on a substrate surface of a target by means of a beam of electrically charged particles in a number of exposure steps, where the beam is split into a patterned beam and there is a relative motion between the substrate and the pattern definition means. This results in an effective overall motion of the patterned particle beam over the substrate surface and exposition of image elements on the substrate surface in each exposure step, wherein the image elements on the target are exposed to the beamlets multiply, namely several times during a number of exposure steps according to a specific sequence. The sequence of exposure steps of the image elements is arranged in a non-linear manner according to a specific rule from one exposure step to the subsequent exposure step in order to reduce the current variations in the optical column of the multi-beam exposure apparatus during the exposure of the pattern. | 05-20-2010 |
| 20100127185 | METHOD FOR MASKLESS PARTICLE-BEAM EXPOSURE - In a maskless particle multibeam processing apparatus, a particle beam is projected through a pattern definition system producing a regular array of beamlets according to a desired pattern, which is projected onto a target which moves at continuous speed along a scanning direction with respect to the pattern definition system. During a sequence of uniformly timed exposure steps the beam image is moved along with the target along the scanning direction, and between exposure steps the location of the beam image is changed with respect to the target. During each exposure step the target covers a distance greater than the mutual distance of neighboring image elements on the target. The location of the beam image at consecutive exposure steps corresponds to a sequence of interlacing placement grids, and after each exposure step the beam image is shifted to a position associated with a different placement grid, with a change of location generally including a component across the scanning direction, thus cycling through the set of placement grids. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100187434 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING A MULTI-BEAM DEFLECTOR ARRAY DEVICE HAVING ELECTRODES - The disclosure relates to a method for producing a multi-beam deflector array device with a plurality of openings for use in a particle-beam exposure apparatus, in particular a projection lithography system, said method starting from a CMOS wafer and comprising the steps of generating at least one pair of parallel trenches on the first side of the wafer blank at the edges of an area where the circuitry layer below is non-functional, the trenches reaching into the layer of bulk material; passivating the sidewalls and bottom of the trenches; depositing a conducting filling material into the trenches, thus creating columns of filling material serving as electrodes; attaching metallic contact means to the top of the electrodes; structuring of an opening between the electrodes, said opening stretching across abovementioned area so that the columns are arranged opposite of each other on the sidewalls of the opening. | 07-29-2010 |
| 20100224790 | Global Point Spreading Function in Multi-Beam Patterning - In a particle multi-beam structuring apparatus for forming a pattern on a target's surface using a beam of electrically charged particles, during exposure steps the particle beam is produced, directed through a pattern definition means producing a patterned particle beam composed of multiple beamlets, and projected by an optical column including a controllable deflection means onto the target surface to form, at a nominal location on the target, a beam image comprising the image of defining structures in the pattern definition means. The beam image's nominal location relative to the target is changed between exposure steps. The actual location of the beam image is varied within each exposure step around the nominal location, through a set of locations realizing a distribution of locations within the image plane around a mean location coinciding with the nominal location, thus introducing an additional blur which is homogenous over the entire beam image. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20100252733 | METHOD FOR MASKLESS PARTICLE-BEAM EXPOSURE - For maskless irradiating a target with a beam of energetic electrically charged particles using a pattern definition means with a plurality of apertures and imaging the apertures in the pattern definition means onto a target which moves (v) relative to the pattern definition means laterally to the axis, the location of the image is moved along with the target, for a pixel exposure period within which a distance of relative movement of the target is covered which is at least a multiple of the width (w) of the aperture images as measured on the target, and after said pixel exposure period the location of the beam image is changed, which change of location generally compensates the overall movement of the location of the beam image. | 10-07-2010 |
| 20100288938 | MULTI-BEAM DEFLECTOR ARRAY MEANS WITH BONDED ELECTRODES - The invention relates to a multi-beam deflector array means for use in a particle-beam exposure apparatus employing a beam of charged particles, said multi-beam deflector array means having an overall plate-like shape with a membrane region and a buried CMOS-layer, said membrane region comprising a first side facing towards the incoming beam of particles and a second side opposite to the first side, an array of apertures, each aperture allowing passage of a corresponding beam element formed out of said beam of particles, and an array of electrodes, each aperture being associated with at least one of said electrodes and the electrodes being controlled via said CMOS layer, wherein the electrodes are pillared, standing proud of the main body of the multi-beam deflector array means, the electrodes being connected to one side of the main body of the multi-beam deflector array means by means of bonding connections. | 11-18-2010 |
