JP2024008279A - Multi-charged particle beam irradiation device, multi-charged particle beam irradiation method and exchange method for blanking aperture array mounting substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multi-charged particle beam irradiation device capable of appropriately exchanging a blanking aperture array mounting substrate while suppressing the deterioration of operation rate, a multi-charged particle beam irradiation method and an exchange method for a blanking aperture array mounting substrate.

SOLUTION: A multi-charged particle beam irradiation device comprises: an emission section which emits a multi-charged particle beam array; a blanking aperture array mounting substrate in which a plurality of blankers are disposed for performing blanking deflections of beams of the multi-charged particle beam array; a transfer mechanism which transfers the blanking aperture array mounting substrate between a lens barrel and a spare chamber; a wire, which has one end connected to the blanking aperture array mounting substrate and the other end connected to a control section outside of the spare chamber via a field through, for performing electrification control from the control section to the blankers; a door between the spare chamber and the outside; a gate valve between the spare chamber and the lens barrel; and a pump which exhausts air in the spare chamber.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a multi-charged particle beam irradiation device, a multi-charged particle beam irradiation method, and a method for replacing a blanking aperture array mounting board.

As LSIs become more highly integrated, the circuit line width required for semiconductor devices is becoming smaller year by year. In order to form a desired circuit pattern on a semiconductor device, a high-precision original pattern (also called a mask, or especially a reticle used in steppers and scanners) is formed on quartz using a reduction projection exposure device. ) is reduced and transferred onto a wafer. The highly accurate original pattern is drawn by an electron beam drawing device, and so-called electron beam lithography technology is used.

A writing device using multiple beams can irradiate more beams at once than when writing with a single electron beam, and can significantly improve throughput. In a multi-beam lithography system using a blanking aperture array mounting board, which is a form of multi-beam lithography system, an electron beam emitted from one electron gun is passed through a shaped aperture array board to form a multi-beam (multiple electron beams). Each beam of the formed multi-beam is passed through the corresponding aperture of the blanking aperture array mounting board, and the blanker (electrode pair) placed in the corresponding aperture selects whether or not to deflect each beam individually. do. The deflected electron beam is blocked by the blanker, and the undeflected electron beam is irradiated onto the sample and used for drawing. In order to avoid effects on the positional accuracy of the electron beam due to collisions between the electron beam and molecules in the air, irradiation with the electron beam is performed with the electron lens barrel of the multi-beam drawing device kept in a vacuum.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-254540 JP2018-206918A

However, with current multi-beam lithography equipment, when replacing a blanking aperture array mounting board whose performance has deteriorated, it is necessary to expose the equipment to the atmosphere, disassemble it, and reassemble it, resulting in poor equipment availability. was.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-charged particle beam irradiation device, a multi-charged particle beam irradiation method, and a replacement of the blanking aperture array mounting board, which can appropriately replace the blanking aperture array mounting board while suppressing deterioration of the operating rate. The purpose is to provide a method.

A multi-charged particle beam irradiation device, which is an embodiment of the present invention, includes an emission unit that emits a multi-charged particle beam array, and a blanking unit in which a plurality of blankers are arranged to perform blanking deflection of each beam of the multi-charged particle beam array. A transport mechanism that transports the aperture array mounting board and the blanking aperture array mounting board between the lens barrel and a preliminary chamber that can be communicated with the lens barrel, one end of which is removably connected to the blanking aperture array mounting board, and the other end of which is removably connected to the blanking aperture array mounting board; The end is connected to the control section outside the preliminary chamber through a feedthrough provided in the preliminary chamber, and the wiring for controlling the power supply from the control section to the blanker, the door between the preliminary chamber and the outside, and the wiring between the preliminary chamber and the outside. It is equipped with a gate valve between the lens barrel and a pump to exhaust the preliminary chamber.

In the multi-charged particle beam irradiation device described above, a second blanking aperture array mounting board on which a plurality of blankers for blanking and deflecting each beam of the multi-charged particle beam array are arranged; and a second blanking aperture array mounting board. a second transport mechanism that transports the substrate between the lens barrel and a second preliminary chamber that can be communicated with the lens barrel; one end of which is removably connected to the second blanking aperture array mounting board; A second wiring that is connected to the control unit through a second feedthrough provided in the second preparatory room and for controlling the supply of electricity from the control unit to the blanker of the second blanking aperture array mounting board; A second door between the auxiliary chamber and the outside, a second gate valve between the second auxiliary chamber and the lens barrel, and a second pump for exhausting the second auxiliary chamber. You may prepare.

The multi-charged particle beam irradiation device described above may further include a shaped aperture array substrate disposed on the blanking aperture array mounting substrate and provided with openings that limit a portion of each beam of the multi-charged particle beam array. .

In the multi-charged particle beam irradiation method, which is one aspect of the present invention, a blanking aperture array mounting board, which is provided with a plurality of blankers and has been connected to one end of wiring in a preliminary chamber, is transferred from the preliminary chamber to the lens barrel. A step of transporting, a step of emitting a multi-charged particle beam array using an emitting section, and controlling energization to a plurality of blankers from a control section connected to the other end of the wiring outside the preliminary chamber through a feedthrough. and performing blanking deflection of each beam of the multi-charged particle beam array.

The multi-charged particle beam irradiation method described above may further include a step of adjusting the beam while the blanking aperture array mounting board is located in the preliminary chamber.

In a method for replacing a blanking aperture array mounting board, which is one aspect of the present invention, the door between the preliminary chamber and the outside is closed, the gate valve between the preliminary chamber and the lens barrel is opened, and the lens barrel and the preliminary The chamber is evacuated by a pump, a blanking aperture array mounting board provided with multiple blankers is connected to one end of the wiring, and the other end of the wiring is connected to the outside of the preliminary chamber through a feedthrough provided in the preliminary chamber. a step of being connected to a control unit and transporting the blanking aperture array mounting board from the lens barrel to the preliminary chamber by the transport mechanism from a state in which the blanking aperture array mounting board is being transported from the preliminary chamber to the lens barrel by the transport mechanism; A process of closing the gate valve after the blanking aperture array mounting board is transferred to the preliminary chamber; After the gate valve is closed, a process of stopping the exhaust of the preliminary chamber and opening the door; and a state in which the door is opened. The method includes a step of cutting the blanking aperture array mounting board from the wiring, and a step of connecting a new blanking aperture array mounting board to the wiring after the blanking aperture array mounting board is cut from the wiring.

According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately replace the blanking aperture array mounting board while suppressing deterioration of the operating rate.

FIG. 1 is an overall view showing a multi-charged particle beam irradiation device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the main parts of the multi-charged particle beam irradiation device according to the present embodiment when replacing the blanking aperture array mounting board. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing main parts of the multi-charged particle beam irradiation device according to the present embodiment during drawing. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a molded aperture array substrate. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing main parts of a multi-charged particle beam irradiation device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the operation of the multi-charged particle beam irradiation apparatus according to the present embodiment when replacing the blanking aperture array mounting board. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing main parts of a multi-charged particle beam irradiation device according to a first modification. It is a top view which shows the principal part of the multi-charged particle beam irradiation apparatus by the 2nd modification. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing main parts of a multi-charged particle beam irradiation device according to a second modified example different from FIG. 8; FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing main parts of a multi-charged particle beam irradiation device according to a second modification example different from FIG. 8; It is a top view which shows the principal part of the multi-charged particle beam irradiation apparatus by the 3rd modification. It is a top view which shows the principal part of the multi-charged particle beam irradiation apparatus by the 4th modification. It is a top view which shows the principal part of the multi-charged particle beam irradiation apparatus by the 5th modification.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments are not intended to limit the invention. Further, in the drawings referred to in the embodiments, the same parts or parts having similar functions are denoted by the same or similar symbols, and repeated description thereof will be omitted.

In the following embodiments, a configuration using an electron beam will be described as an example of a charged particle beam. However, the charged particle beam is not limited to an electron beam, and may be an ion beam or the like. Furthermore, in the following embodiments, a multi-beam drawing device will be described as an example of a multi-charged particle beam irradiation device.

As shown in FIG. 1, the multi-beam drawing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a drawing section 2 whose interior is kept in a vacuum state and which irradiates a sample such as a mask or a wafer with an electron beam to draw a desired pattern. A control section 3 that controls the drawing operation by the drawing section 2 is provided. The drawing section 2 includes an electron beam column 21, a drawing chamber 22, and a preliminary chamber 200.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electron beam barrel 21 includes an electron gun 23, an illumination lens 24, a shaped aperture array substrate 25, a blanking aperture array mounting substrate 26, and a part of a transport mechanism 214. A movable table 27, a distortion adjustment lens 28, a limiting aperture substrate 29, a deflector 201, and an objective lens 210 are arranged. Electron gun 23 and shaped aperture array substrate 25 are examples of emitters. The illumination lens 24, the distortion adjustment lens 28, and the objective lens 210 are configured of at least one of an electromagnetic lens and an electrostatic lens. An XY stage 211 is arranged inside the drawing chamber 22 . A mask blank, which is the substrate 4 to be imaged, is placed on the XY stage 211. The substrate 4 to be drawn includes, for example, a wafer and an exposure mask for transferring a pattern onto the wafer using a reduction projection exposure device such as a stepper or scanner using an excimer laser as a light source or an extreme ultraviolet exposure device. . The substrate to be drawn also includes a mask on which a pattern has already been formed. For example, since a Levenson type mask requires drawing twice, a second pattern may be drawn on an object that has been drawn once and processed into a mask. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the electron beam column 21 includes an XYZθ stage 215, which is an example of an alignment mechanism, and cooling structures 218, 219, 220 for the shaping aperture array substrate 25 and the blanking aperture array mounting substrate 26. , 221 are further arranged.

The preliminary chamber 200 is a hollow structure that allows the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 to be taken in and out of the electron beam barrel 21 and the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 to be replaced without making the inside of the electron beam barrel 21 atmospheric. be. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the preliminary chamber 200 is provided with a transport mechanism 214, wiring 2001, a vacuum pump 2003, a door 2004, and a gate valve 2005.

The components of the drawing section 2 will be described in further detail below.

As shown in FIG. 4, the shaped aperture array substrate 25 is a member that is provided with a plurality of first apertures A1 and allows electron beams to partially pass through the plurality of first apertures A1 to form a multi-beam array. Specifically, first openings A1 are formed in the molded aperture array substrate 25 in m rows (m≧1) in the Y direction and in n rows (n≧2) in the X direction at a predetermined arrangement pitch. Each of the first openings A1 is formed in a rectangular shape with the same size and shape. The shape of the first opening A1 may be circular. A multi-beam array MB is formed by the electron beam B partially passing through these plurality of first apertures A1.

The blanking aperture array mounting substrate 26 is arranged below the shaping aperture array substrate 25, that is, on the beam exit side during drawing. The blanking aperture array mounting board 26 can be positioned on the optical axis OA in FIG. 5 by a transport mechanism 214, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 5, the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 includes a blanking aperture array chip 260 and a mounting board 263. The blanking aperture array chip 260 is provided with a plurality of second apertures A2 through which corresponding beams of the multi-beam array pass, and a blanker (not shown) for blanking and deflecting the beam is arranged in each second aperture A2. It is a member that has been More specifically, the blanking aperture array chip 260 is formed with second openings A2 corresponding to each opening A1 of the molded aperture array substrate 25. The arrangement direction of the second openings A2 of the blanking aperture array chip 260 is the X direction and the Y direction, similar to the arrangement direction of the first openings A1 of the molded aperture array substrate 25. The arrangement pitch of the second openings A2 is narrower than the arrangement pitch of the first openings A1. A blanker consisting of a pair of two electrodes is arranged in each second opening A2. One of the electrode pairs constituting the blanker is fixed at ground potential, and the other is switched between ground potential and another potential by energization control. Each second aperture A2 allows a corresponding beam of the multi-beam array MB formed by the electron beam B passing through the plurality of first apertures A1 of the shaped aperture array substrate 25 to pass therethrough. The electron beams passing through each second aperture A2 are independently deflected by the voltage applied to the blanker. In this way, each blanker performs a blanking deflection of a corresponding beam.

The mounting board 263 is a member on which the blanking aperture array chip 260 is mounted. An electric circuit (not shown) connected to the blanker of the blanking aperture array chip 260 is formed on the mounting board 263. More specifically, the blanking aperture array chip 260 provided with the second opening A2 is bonded to the mounting board 263. The blanking aperture array mounting board 26 is replaceable with the blanking aperture array chip 260 and the mounting board 263 integrated. The mounting board 263 is provided with a connector 261 connected to an electric circuit. The connector 261 is used to electrically connect the blanking aperture array chip 260 to the wiring 2001 in order to control the supply of electricity to the blanker through an electric circuit. In the example shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the connector 261 is a female connector that opens upward. Connector 261 may be a male connector. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, two connectors 261 are provided with an interval in the Y direction so as to sandwich the blanking aperture array chip 260 therebetween. The X coordinates of the two connectors 261 are the same. More specifically, the two connectors 261 are arranged equally in the Y direction with respect to the origin of the X-axis coordinates passing through the optical axis OA in the electron beam column 21 (i.e., the intersection of the optical axis OA and the X-axis). placed at intervals.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the mounting board 263 is provided with an opening 263a through which the multi-beam array MB that has passed through the blanking aperture array chip 260 passes. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the mounting board 263 is provided with a positioning hole 265 for positioning the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 when the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 is mounted on the movable table 27. . In the example shown in FIG. 5, two positioning holes 265 are provided at intervals in the Y direction so as to sandwich the blanking aperture array chip 260 therebetween. One positioning hole 265 is a completely round hole. The other positioning hole 265 is formed slightly longer in the Y direction to provide play for positioning.

The transport mechanism 214 is a mechanism that transports the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 between the electron beam column 21 and the preliminary chamber 200 that can communicate with the electron beam column 21. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transport mechanism 214 includes a first moving guide 2161, a first moving rail 2171, a second moving guide 2162, a second moving rail 2172, a movable table 27, and a first moving rail 2171. It has a motor 212 and a second motor 213.

The first moving rail 2171 is a member that transports the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 by moving between the electron beam lens barrel 21 and the preliminary chamber 200. The first moving rail 2171 extends in the X direction, which is the moving direction. A pair of first moving rails 2171 are arranged at intervals in the Y direction.

The first movement guide 2161 is a member that guides movement of the first movement rail 2171 between the electron beam barrel 21 and the preliminary chamber 200. The first movement guide 2161 is fixed within the preliminary chamber 200. Two first movement guides 2161 are arranged for each of the pair of first movement rails 2171.

The second moving rail 2172 is mounted on the first moving rail 2171 and is connected between the electron beam column 21 and the preliminary chamber 200 following the first moving rail 2171 or independently from the first moving rail 2171. This is a member that conveys the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 by moving with the blanking aperture array mounting board 26. The second moving rail 2172 extends in the X direction, which is the moving direction. A pair of second moving rails 2172 are arranged at intervals in the Y direction so as to correspond to the pair of first moving rails 2171.

The second movement guide 2162 is a member that guides movement of the second movement rail 2172 between the electron beam barrel 21 and the preliminary chamber 200. The second moving guide 2162 is fixed to the first moving rail 2171. Two second movement guides 2162 are arranged for each of the pair of second movement rails 2172.

The movable table 27 is a member that is fixed to a pair of second moving rails 2172 and on which the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 is mounted. The movable table 27 is provided with an opening 27a through which the multi-beam array MB that has passed through the blanking aperture array chip 260 and the opening 263a of the mounting board 263 passes. The opening 27a of the movable table 27 is larger than the opening 263a of the mounting board 263.

As shown in FIG. 5, the movable table 27 is provided with positioning pins 271 for positioning the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 when the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 is mounted on the movable table 27. In the example shown in FIG. 5, two positioning pins 271 are provided so as to correspond to the positioning holes 265 of the mounting board 263. By passing the positioning pin 271 through the positioning hole 265, the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 is positioned and mounted on the movable table 27.

The first motor 212 is a power generation source that moves the first moving rail 2171. The first motor 212 is arranged within the first movement guide 2161, for example. The first motor 212 may be arranged at a different position from the inside of the first movement guide 2161. The specific aspect of the first motor 212 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, an ultrasonic motor, a piezo motor, or the like.

The second motor 213 is a power generation source for moving the second moving rail 2172. The second motor 213 is arranged within the second movement guide 2162, for example. The second motor 213 may be disposed at a different position from within the second movement guide 2162. The specific form of the second motor 213 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, an ultrasonic motor, a piezo motor, or the like.

According to the transport mechanism 214 configured in this way, a sufficient transport amount can be secured using the two-stage structure of the moving rails 2171 and 2172, so that the transfer mechanism 214 can be moved between the electron beam column 21 and the preliminary chamber 200. The blanking aperture array mounting board 26 can be moved appropriately. In this embodiment, the transport mechanism 214 has a two-stage structure, but it may have a single-stage structure instead of multiple stages.

The wiring 2001 is a member for controlling the supply of electricity to the blanker of the blanking aperture array chip 260. One end of the wiring 2001 is removably connected to the connector 261 of the mounting board 263. Wiring 2001 is electrically connected to the blanker via connector 261. More specifically, a connector 264 is provided at one end of the wiring 2001 and has a shape that is detachable from the connector 261 of the mounting board 263. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the connector 264 of the wiring 2001 is a male connector that can be inserted into the connector 261 of the mounting board 263 from above. As shown in FIG. 5, two wirings 2001 and two connectors 264 are arranged to correspond to the connectors 261 of the mounting board 263. As shown in FIG. 5, each wiring 2001 is arranged to be shifted inward in the Y direction with respect to each moving rail 2172 so as not to interfere with the two moving rails 2172. The other end of the wiring 2001 is connected to a deflection control circuit 32 (control unit) outside the preliminary chamber 200 through a feedthrough 2002 provided in the preliminary chamber 200 . The deflection control circuit 32 can control the supply of electricity to the blanker via the wiring 2001. The wiring 2001 has flexibility so that it can follow the conveyance of the blanking aperture array mounting board 26. Further, the wiring 2001 has a sufficient length so that the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 can reach from the preliminary chamber 200 to above the optical axis OA in the electron beam column 21.

The vacuum pump 2003 is a device that can evacuate the interior of the preliminary chamber 200 to a vacuum state independently of the electron beam column 21. Although not shown, vacuum pumps are also disposed in the electron beam barrel 21 and the writing chamber 22 to evacuate the inside of the electron beam barrel 21 and the writing chamber 22 to a vacuum state.

The door 2004 opens and closes the preliminary chamber 200 to the outside (atmosphere) manually or by a motor (not shown), and replaces the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 inside the preliminary chamber 200 from the outside with the preliminary chamber 200 open. It is a permissible member. The door 2004 is arranged on the upper wall of the preliminary chamber 200 so that the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 can be easily replaced.

The gate valve 2005 is a member that opens and closes the opening 21a that communicates the electron beam column 21 and the preliminary chamber 200 manually or by a motor (not shown). By opening the gate valve 2005 and opening the opening 21a, the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 can be transferred between the electron beam column 21 and the preliminary chamber 200. By closing the gate valve 2005 and shielding the opening 21a, it is possible to open the door 2004 and evacuate the preliminary chamber 200 to the atmosphere while maintaining the inside of the electron beam column 21 in a vacuum state. As a result, the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 in the preliminary chamber 200 can be replaced through the opening 200a that opens the preliminary chamber 200 by the door 2004 without making the inside of the electron beam column 21 atmospheric. can. Note that the replacement work of the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 includes not only the work of removing or connecting the wiring 2001 to the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 (that is, the connector 261 of the mounting board 263), but also the work of replacing the wiring 2001 with electricity. This may include confirmation work.

The XYZθ stage 215 is a member that adjusts the alignment between the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 located on the optical axis OA and the molded aperture array board 25. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the XYZθ stage 215 is located above the molded aperture array substrate 25 and supports the molded aperture array substrate 25 from above. Therefore, by moving the XYZθ stage 215 and transmitting this movement to the shaping aperture array substrate 25, the shaping aperture array substrate 25 can be moved in the same direction as the XYZθ stage 215. Thereby, alignment adjustment between the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 and the molded aperture array board 25 can be performed. Note that, on the XYZθ stage 215, alignment adjustment can be performed by moving the molded aperture array substrate 25 in at least one of the X direction, the Y direction, the Z direction, and the θ direction. The XYZθ stage 215 may be, for example, a piezo stage. As an alignment mechanism, a YZθ stage may be employed instead of the XYZθ stage 215.

The cooling structures 218, 219, 220, and 221 are structures that cool the molded aperture array substrate 25 and the blanking aperture array mounting substrate 26. The cooling structures 218, 219, 220, and 221 suppress the shaping aperture array substrate 25 exposed to the electron beam B from expanding due to the heat of the electron beam B and changing the aperture pitch, and also prevent the blanking aperture array mounting substrate 25 from expanding due to the heat of the electron beam B. The heat generated by the electric circuit formed on the mounting board 263 of No. 26 is cooled down. The cooling structures 218, 219, 220, and 221 include a first cooling channel 218 provided in the electron beam column 21, a second cooling channel 219 provided in the bottom 200b of the preliminary chamber 200, and the electron beam column 21. 21 and the molded aperture array substrate 25, and a second heat conductive member 220 provided between the bottom 200b of the preliminary chamber 200 and the mounting board 263. The first cooling channel 218 and the second cooling channel 219 are configured to circulate cooling water. The first thermally conductive member 221 is made of, for example, copper foil or the like and is configured to have good thermal conductivity. The second thermally conductive member 220 is configured to have good thermal conductivity and flexibility using, for example, multiple layers of copper foil. In order to efficiently cool the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 without affecting the beam trajectory, the second heat conductive member 220 is preferably made of non-magnetic pure copper. As shown in FIG. 5, the second heat conductive member 220 is disposed inwardly in the Y direction with respect to each wiring 2001 so as not to interfere with the two wirings 2001.

The shaped aperture array substrate 25 is cooled by heat exchange with the first cooling channel 218 via the electron beam column 21 and the first heat conductive member 221. The blanking aperture array mounting board 26 is cooled by heat exchange with the second cooling channel 219 via the second heat conductive member 220 and the preliminary chamber 200. Note that, as shown in FIG. 2, a contact point 2006 between the electron beam barrel 21 and the second moving rail 2172 is provided inside the electron beam barrel 21. The contact 2006 is constituted by a rotatable roller so that it can contact the second moving rail 2172 without interfering with the conveyance of the blanking aperture array mounting board 26. The blanking aperture array mounting board 26 may also be cooled by heat exchange with the first cooling channel 218 via the contacts 2006 and the electron beam column 21.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the control section 3 includes a control computer 31, a deflection control circuit 32 (control section), a movement control circuit 33, and a lens control circuit 34. Deflection control circuit 32 is connected to blanking aperture array mounting board 26 and deflector 201. The movement control circuit 33 is connected to the first motor 212, the second motor 213, and the XYZθ stage 215 in FIGS. 2 and 3. Lens control circuit 34 is connected to illumination lens 24, distortion adjustment lens 28, and objective lens 210.

In the multi-beam lithography apparatus 1 having the above configuration, the electron beam B emitted from the electron gun 23 is transmitted through the limiting aperture while the inside of the apparatus 1 (specifically, the lithography section 2) is kept in vacuum by the vacuum pump. The light is focused by the illumination lens 24 excited by the lens control circuit 34 to illuminate the entire shaped aperture array substrate 25 so as to form a crossover at the center hole formed in the substrate 29 .

A multi-beam array MB is formed by the electron beam B passing through the plurality of first apertures A1 of the shaped aperture array substrate 25. The multi-beam array MB passes through a second aperture A2 corresponding to the multi-beam array MB of the blanking aperture array chip 260 located on the optical axis OA. Each beam of the multi-beam array MB travels at an angle toward a central hole formed in the limiting aperture substrate 29. Therefore, the beam diameter of the entire multi-beam array MB and the beam pitch of the multi-beam array MB gradually become smaller after passing through the shaped aperture array substrate 25.

The multi-beam array MB passes through the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 at a pitch narrower than the beam pitch formed by the shaped aperture array board 25. The multi-beam array MB that has passed through the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 advances toward the center hole formed in the limiting aperture board 29 . Here, while the XY stage 211 is continuously moving, the deflection control circuit 32 drives the blanker of the blanking aperture array chip 260 by applying a voltage. At this time, the control computer 31 reads pattern drawing data from a storage device (not shown) and performs multiple stages of data conversion processing on the read drawing data to generate shot data unique to the apparatus. The shot data defines the irradiation amount, irradiation position coordinates, etc. of each shot. The control computer 31 outputs the dose of each shot to the deflection control circuit 32 based on the shot data. The deflection control circuit 32 calculates the irradiation time by dividing the input irradiation amount by the current density. Then, the deflection control circuit 32 applies a voltage to the corresponding blanker so that the blanker of the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 passes the beam for the determined irradiation time. Also, at this time, the control computer 31 outputs deflection position data to the deflection control circuit 32 so that each beam is deflected to the position (coordinates) indicated by the shot data. The deflection control circuit 32 calculates the amount of deflection and applies a deflection voltage to the distortion adjustment lens 28. As a result, the multi-beam array MB shot at that time is deflected all at once in accordance with the continuous operation of the XY stage 211.

As a result, the electron beam is deflected by the blanker of the blanking aperture array chip 260 driven by the deflection control circuit 32, and this deflected electron beam is displaced from the center hole of the limiting aperture substrate 29, and 29. On the other hand, the electron beam that is not deflected by the blanker of the blanking aperture array chip 260 passes through the center hole of the limiting aperture substrate 29 .

In this manner, the limiting aperture substrate 29 blocks each beam that is deflected by the blanker of the blanking aperture array chip 260 into a beam OFF state. The beam that passes through the limiting aperture substrate 29 from when the beam is turned on until it is turned off becomes the beam for one shot.

The multi-beam array MB that has passed through the limiting aperture substrate 29 becomes an aperture image of a desired reduction magnification with respect to the first aperture A1 of the shaping aperture array substrate 25 by the objective lens 210 excited by the lens control circuit 34, and is displayed on the substrate 4. Focus is adjusted. Then, the multi-beam array MB that has passed through the limited aperture substrate 29 is collectively deflected in the same direction by the deflector 201, and is irradiated onto the irradiation position of each beam on the substrate 4. As a result, a pattern is drawn on the substrate 4.

Here, the performance of the blanking aperture array mounting board deteriorates due to the influence of the multi-beam array MB. Conventionally, when replacing a blanking aperture array mounting board whose performance has deteriorated with a new blanking aperture array mounting board, it has been necessary to expose the electron beam column 21 to the atmosphere and to disassemble it. In contrast, in this embodiment, the blanking aperture array mounting board can be replaced without exposing the electron beam column 21 to the atmosphere or disassembling it.

Specifically, the movement control circuit 33 moves the first movement rail 2171 and the second movement rail 2172 until the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 on the optical axis OA is retracted into the preliminary chamber 200. The drive of the motor 212 and the second motor 213 is controlled.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 is retracted from above the optical axis OA into the preliminary chamber 200 while the inside of the electron beam column 21 and the preliminary chamber 200 are maintained in a vacuum state. Ru.

After the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 is evacuated into the preliminary chamber 200, the gate valve 2005 is closed. By opening the door 2004 after closing the gate valve 2005, the preliminary chamber 200 can be evacuated to the atmosphere while the inside of the electron beam column 21 is maintained in a vacuum state. As a result, the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 in the preliminary chamber 200 can be manually replaced through the opening 200a that opens the preliminary chamber 200 by the door 2004 while maintaining the inside of the electron beam column 21 in a vacuum state. Can be done. Specifically, the work includes removing the deteriorated blanking aperture array mounting board 26 from the wiring 2001 via the connector 261, and connecting a new blanking aperture array mounting board 26 to the wiring 2001 via the connector 261. and can be done. After replacing the blanking aperture array mounting board 26, the door 2004 is closed and the preliminary chamber 200 is evacuated to a vacuum state by the vacuum pump 2003. Then, when the inside of the preliminary chamber 200 becomes a vacuum state, the gate valve 2005 is opened. After the gate valve 2005 is opened, the movement control circuit 33 moves the first movement rail 2171 and the second movement rail 2172 until the new blanking aperture array mounting board 26 in the preliminary chamber 200 is positioned on the optical axis OA. The driving of the first motor 212 and the second motor 213 is controlled so as to move the motor.

When the new blanking aperture array mounting board 26 is positioned on the optical axis OA, the XYZθ stage 215 performs alignment adjustment between the new blanking aperture array mounting board 26 and the molded aperture array board 25. In the alignment adjustment, for example, while the movement control circuit 33 slightly moves the XYZθ stage 215 (that is, the molded aperture array substrate 25), the current detector 230 installed on the XY stage 211 moves the blanking aperture array mounting substrate 26. The total passing beam current may be measured, and the position of the shaping aperture array 25 when the amount of the measured total beam current becomes the largest may be taken as the position of the shaping aperture array 25 after alignment adjustment.

After alignment adjustment, each beam of the multi-beam array MB formed by the shaped aperture array substrate 25 is blanked and deflected by a new blanking aperture array mounting substrate 26 located on the optical axis OA.

Note that the multi-beam writing apparatus 1 may perform beam adjustment while the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 is positioned in the preliminary chamber 200.

As described above, according to the multi-beam drawing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the preliminary chamber 200 and the transport mechanism 214 that conveys the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 between the electron beam column 21 and the preliminary chamber 200 are provided. and a wiring 2001 whose one end is removably connected to the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 and whose other end is connected to the deflection control circuit 32 outside the preliminary chamber 200 through a feedthrough 2002 provided in the preliminary chamber 200. With this provision, the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 can be replaced appropriately within the preliminary chamber 200 while the electron beam column 21 is maintained in a vacuum state. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 can be replaced appropriately while suppressing deterioration of the operating rate.

Further, according to the multi-beam drawing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, by performing beam adjustment with the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 positioned in the preliminary chamber 200, the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 can generate After completing the beam adjustment in a state where there is no imaging distortion of the aperture image, the imaging distortion caused by the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 can be adjusted. Furthermore, since the beam adjustment of the optical system other than the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 is incomplete, the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 is irradiated with a beam that does not pass through the second aperture A2. You can prevent damage from occurring.

The embodiment described above shows a preferable example of the multi-beam writing apparatus 1. However, the multi-beam drawing apparatus 1 is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications shown below can be applied.

(First modification)
Up to now, an example of the multi-beam lithography apparatus 1 including a single preliminary chamber 200, a transport mechanism 214, and wiring 2001 has been described. However, the number of preliminary chamber 200, transport mechanism 214, and wiring 2001 is not limited to one, and may be plural. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, two preliminary chambers 200, 200, transport mechanisms 214, 214, and wiring 2001, 2001 are provided, and each of the two transport mechanisms 214, 214 has a blanking aperture array mounting board 26 of the same structure. , 26 may be installed. Note that the two wirings 2001, 2001 are both connected to the deflection control circuit 32.

According to such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 7, while the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 is positioned on the optical axis OA by the transport mechanism 214 in one of the preliminary chambers 200, the other preliminary chamber 200 is gated. It can be isolated from the electron beam column 21 by a bulb 2005 and brought into the atmosphere. As a result, while writing is performed using one blanking aperture array mounting board 26, the other blanking aperture array mounting board 26 can be replaced in parallel. Therefore, deterioration of the operating rate can be suppressed more effectively.

(Second modification)
In FIG. 7, an example has been described in which two blanking aperture array mounting boards 26 have the same structure. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. A second shaped aperture array substrate 262 provided with a third opening A3 smaller than the first opening A1 of the aperture array substrate 25 may be arranged.

The third aperture A3 of the second molded aperture array substrate 262 is smaller than the second aperture A2 of the blanking aperture array mounting substrate 26. The second molded aperture array substrate 262 is bonded to the blanking aperture array mounting substrate 26 using a bonding material such as an adhesive, for example. The second shaped aperture array substrate 262 may be configured to be movable in the horizontal direction with respect to the blanking aperture array mounting substrate 26 by an actuator.

According to such a configuration, the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 on which the second molded aperture array board 262 is provided has the beam size of each beam reduced by the second molded aperture array board 262. , blanking and deflecting the narrower multi-beam array MB. Therefore, by switching between the two blanking aperture array mounting boards 26, 26, it is possible to select a suitable beam size according to the required writing accuracy and writing speed.

Note that the third aperture A3 of the second shaped aperture array substrate 262 is not necessarily larger than the first aperture A1 of the shaped aperture array substrate 25, if a portion of each beam of the multi-beam array MB can be restricted. It doesn't have to be small either. For example, the size of the third opening A3 of the second molded aperture array substrate 262 may be greater than or equal to the size of the first opening A1 of the molded aperture array substrate 25.

Here, FIG. 9A is a plan view showing a main part of a multi-beam drawing apparatus 1 in a different aspect from FIG. 8, which includes a second shaped aperture array substrate 262. FIG. 9A shows the sizes and horizontal dimensions of the first opening A1 of the molded aperture array substrate 25, the third opening A3 of the second molded aperture array substrate 262, and the second opening A2 of the blanking aperture array mounting substrate 26. Positional relationships in directions (XY directions) are shown. 9B is a cross section similar to FIG. 8, and more specifically, the molded aperture array substrate 25, the second molded aperture array substrate 262, and the blanking aperture array mounting are shown along the IXB-IXB cutting line in FIG. 9A. A cross section of the substrate 26 is shown.

In the example shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the third aperture A3 of the second shaped aperture array substrate 262 is the same size as the first aperture A1 of the shaped aperture array substrate 25. In the example shown in FIGS. In addition, in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the first opening A1 of the molded aperture array substrate 25 and the third opening A3 of the second molded aperture array substrate 262 are closer to each other than the second opening A2 of the blanking aperture array mounting board 26. It's also small. Further, the center of the first opening A1 of the molded aperture array substrate 25 coincides with the center of the second opening A2 of the blanking aperture array mounting substrate 26. On the other hand, the center of the third opening A3 of the second molded aperture array substrate 262 is from the center of the first opening A1 of the molded aperture array substrate 25 and the center of the second opening A2 of the blanking aperture array mounting board 26. It is shifted in the horizontal direction (positive direction in the X direction and negative direction in the Y direction).

Also in the configuration shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 provided with the second shaped aperture array board 262 is configured such that the beam size of each beam is adjusted by the second shaped aperture array board 262. The multi-beam array MB, which has been cut into a smaller size and has become thinner, can be subjected to blanking deflection. Therefore, by switching between the two blanking aperture array mounting boards 26, 26, it is possible to select a suitable beam size according to the required writing accuracy and writing speed.

(Third modification)
Up to now, an example has been described in which the XYZθ stage 215 that performs alignment adjustment between the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 and the molded aperture array board 25 is arranged above the molded aperture array board 25. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, the XYZθ stage 215 is arranged below the molded aperture array substrate 25, and the XYZθ stage 215 and the molded aperture array substrate 25 are connected by a support member 2009 that supports the molded aperture array 25. You may.

(Fourth modification)
So far, an example has been described in which the contact point 2006 with the second moving rail 2172 is a roller. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, the contact point 2006 connects a plate member 2007 formed with an inclined surface 2007a on which the second moving rail 2172 rides, and an elastic member 2007 that applies an upward elastic force to the plate member 2007. It may also be configured with member 2008. According to such a configuration, by bringing the contacts 2006 into stable contact with the second moving rail 2172, the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 can be held while being cooled more appropriately.

(Fifth modification)
Up to now, we have provided an example in which the XYZθ stage 215 is placed above the shaped aperture array substrate 25 within the electron beam barrel 21 (as shown in FIG. 2, etc.), and an example in which the An example of the lower arrangement (FIG. 10) has been described. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12, the XYZθ stage 215 may be placed in a state where it can be transported integrally with the blanking aperture array mounting board 26 by the transport mechanism 214. More specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 12, the XYZθ stage 215 is provided on the movable table 27. The blanking aperture array mounting board 26 is mounted on the XYZθ stage 215. According to such a configuration, the XYZθ stage 215 can be transported into the preliminary chamber 200, so that the XYZθ stage 215 can be inspected without disassembling the electron beam column 21. Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the shaped aperture array substrate 25 may be immovably disposed (fixed) within the electron beam column 21.

At least a portion of the multi-beam writing device 1 may be configured with hardware or software. When configured with software, a program for realizing at least part of the functions of the multi-beam lithography apparatus 1 may be stored in a recording medium such as a flexible disk or a CD-ROM, and may be read and executed by a computer. The recording medium is not limited to a removable one such as a magnetic disk or an optical disk, but may also be a fixed recording medium such as a hard disk device or memory.

The embodiments described above are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention as well as within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

1 Multi-beam drawing device 23 Electron gun 25 Molding aperture array substrate 26 Blanking aperture array mounting substrate 200 Preliminary chamber 214 Transport mechanism 2001 Wiring 2002 Feed through 2003 Vacuum pump 2004 Door 2005 Gate valve 32 Deflection control circuit

Claims (6)

an emitter that emits a multi-charged particle beam array;
a blanking aperture array mounting board on which a plurality of blankers are arranged for blanking and deflecting each beam of the multi-charged particle beam array;
a transport mechanism that transports the blanking aperture array mounting board between a lens barrel and a preliminary chamber that can communicate with the lens barrel;
One end is removably connected to the blanking aperture array mounting board, and the other end is connected to a control unit outside the preliminary chamber through a feedthrough provided in the preliminary chamber, and the control unit controls energization of the blanker. Wiring to do this,
a door between the preliminary room and the outside;
a gate valve between the preliminary chamber and the lens barrel;
A multi-charged particle beam irradiation device comprising: a pump for evacuating the preliminary chamber. a second blanking aperture array mounting board on which a plurality of blankers for blanking and deflecting each beam of the multi-charged particle beam array are arranged;
a second transport mechanism that transports the second blanking aperture array mounting board between a lens barrel and a second preliminary chamber that can communicate with the lens barrel;
One end is removably connected to the second blanking aperture array mounting board, and the other end is connected to the control unit through a second feedthrough provided in the second preliminary chamber, and the other end is connected to the control unit through a second feedthrough provided in the second preliminary chamber. a second wiring for controlling energization to the blanker of a second blanking aperture array mounting board;
a second door between the second preliminary room and the outside;
a second gate valve between the second preliminary chamber and the lens barrel;
The multi-charged particle beam irradiation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second pump for evacuating the second preliminary chamber. The multi-charged particle according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a shaped aperture array substrate disposed on the blanking aperture array mounting substrate and provided with an aperture that limits a portion of each beam of the multi-charged particle beam array. Beam irradiation device. a step of transporting a blanking aperture array mounting board provided with a plurality of blankers and connected to one end of wiring in a preliminary chamber from the preliminary chamber to a lens barrel;
emitting a multi-charged particle beam array using the emitting unit;
performing blanking deflection of each beam of the multi-charged particle beam array by controlling energization to the plurality of blankers from a control unit connected to the other end of the wiring outside the preliminary chamber through a feedthrough; A multi-charged particle beam irradiation method comprising: 5. The multi-charged particle beam irradiation method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of performing beam adjustment while the blanking aperture array mounting board is located in the preliminary chamber. A door between the preliminary chamber and the outside is closed, a gate valve between the preliminary chamber and the lens barrel is opened, the lens barrel and the preliminary chamber are evacuated to a vacuum state by a pump, and a plurality of blankers are provided. A blanking aperture array mounting board is connected to one end of the wiring, and the other end of the wiring is connected to a control unit outside the preliminary chamber through a feedthrough provided in the preliminary chamber, and the blanking aperture array mounting board is connected to one end of the wiring. a step of transporting the blanking aperture array mounting board from the lens barrel to the preliminary chamber by the transport mechanism from a state where the substrate is being transported from the preliminary chamber to the lens barrel by the transport mechanism;
closing the gate valve after the blanking aperture array mounting board is transported to the preliminary chamber;
After the gate valve is closed, stopping exhaust gas from the preliminary chamber and opening the door;
cutting the blanking aperture array mounting board from the wiring while the door is open;
A method for replacing a blanking aperture array mounting board, comprising the step of connecting a new blanking aperture array mounting board to the wiring after the blanking aperture array mounting board is cut from the wiring.