Lithography system, sensor and measuring method

Abstract

Lithography system, sensor and method for measuring properties of a massive amount of charged particle beams of a charged particle beam system, in particular a direct write lithography system, in which the charged particle beams are converted into light beams by using a converter element, using an array of light sensitive detectors such as diodes, CCD or CMOS devices, located in line with said converter element, for detecting said light beams, electronically reading out resulting signals from said detectors after exposure thereof by said light beams, utilising said signals for determining values for one or more beam properties, thereby using an automated electronic calculator, and electronically adapting the charged particle system so as to correct for out of specification range values for all or a number of said charged particle beams, each for one or more properties,; based on said calculated property values.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a multiple particle beam lithography system, a sensor and a method for said system. Such lithographic systems generally operate according to a method for transferring a pattern to a target surface, usually using a so-called particle beam tool for generating said mass of charged particle beamlets, which by means of electronic control The beam may be scanned in one or more directions. A large number of beamlets (also denoted writing beam) will hereinafter be calibrated through the sensor. Such lithographic systems are usually based on a method comprising the steps of generating a plurality of writing beams for writing said pattern on said target surface, usually a wafer or a mask. Preferably, the writing beam may consist of an electron beam emitted by a writing beam source, which may for example comprise a cathode, and which may be appended with a writing beam shaping device, such as an array of apertures, for converting the beam...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

In addition to the above-mentioned volumetric characteristics of the known sensor and calibration system, this known system is relatively expensive and moreover cannot calibrate a large number of charged particle beams in a qualitative and sufficiently rapid manner

[0011] In a large number of multi-beam lithography systems, other issues arise, such as adjacent beams should not affect the accuracy of position detection

Also, the known methods and systems do not clarify how to perform data acquisition and data processing for all of the large number of write beams in a reasonably defined time, i.e., in a time period much smaller than the time required to write to a wafer

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