Multi-charged particle beam writing apparatus and multi-charged particle beam writing method

Abstract

To prevent reduction of lithography accuracy.SOLUTION: A multi-charged particle beam lithography method includes the steps of: performing a tracking operation in such a manner that a deflection position of multi-beams follows movements of a stage while a substrate mounted on the continuously moving stage is irradiated with the multi-beams including a plurality of charged particle beams; and irradiating each of a plurality of rectangular regions obtained by dividing a lithography region of the substrate in a mesh manner with the beams of the multi-beams. At least a part of a plurality of pixels obtained by dividing the rectangular region in a predetermined size in the mesh manner is irradiated with the beams in a first shot order and thereafter irradiated with the beams in a second shot order different from the first shot order.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a multi-charged particle beam writing apparatus and a multi-charged particle beam writing method. [Background technology]

[0002] As LSIs become more highly integrated, the circuit line width required for semiconductor devices has become finer year by year. To form the desired circuit pattern on a semiconductor device, a method is adopted in which a high-precision original pattern (called a mask, or, in particular, a reticle used in steppers and scanners) formed on a light-shielding film on a glass substrate is reduced and transferred onto a wafer using a reduction projection exposure system. To create the high-precision original pattern, a technique known as electron beam lithography is used, in which a resist pattern is formed using an electron beam writing system.

[0003] A multi-beam lithography system can irradiate many beams at once compared to lithography using a single electron beam, thereby significantly improving throughput. In a multi-beam lithography system using a blanking aperture array, for example, an electron beam emitted from a single electron gun is passed through a shaping aperture array with multiple openings to form multiple beams (multiple electron beams). The multiple beams pass through corresponding blankers in the blanking aperture array. The blanking aperture array has electrode pairs for individually deflecting the beams, with openings formed between the electrode pairs for beam passage. Blanking deflection of the passing electron beams is performed by controlling the electrode pairs (blankers) to either the same potential or different potentials. The electron beams deflected by the blanker are blocked, while the undeflected electron beams are irradiated onto the substrate.

[0004] A multi-beam lithography system has a main deflector and a sub-deflector that deflect the beams to determine the beam irradiation position on the substrate. The main deflector positions the entire multi-beam at a predetermined location on the substrate, and the sub-deflector deflects the beams so that they fill the beam pitch.

[0005] In such a multi-beam lithography system, multiple beams are irradiated at once, and the beams formed after passing through the same or different openings in the aperture member are joined together to draw a pattern of the desired shape. Since the shape of the entire image of the beam array irradiated onto the substrate (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "beam shape") affects the joining accuracy of the drawn figure, distortion of the entire image of the beam array is adjusted using an electron optical system.

[0006] Dose modulation correction has also been proposed, which modulates the irradiation dose for each beam to prevent the effects of beam misalignment from appearing in the dose distribution on the resist even when exposure is performed with misaligned beams. However, the correction effect is unclear, and there is a problem of reduced throughput. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-103571 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-220491 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-299327 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-charged particle beam drawing apparatus and a multi-charged particle beam drawing method that can prevent a decrease in drawing accuracy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A multi-charged particle beam writing method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a step of performing a tracking operation while irradiating a multi-beam containing multiple charged particle beams onto a substrate placed on a continuously moving stage so that the deflection position of the multi-beam follows the movement of the stage, and a step of irradiating each beam of the multi-beam onto each of multiple rectangular areas obtained by dividing a writing area of ​​the substrate into a mesh-like pattern during the tracking operation, in which each beam is irradiated in a first shot order onto at least a portion of multiple pixels obtained by dividing the rectangular area into a mesh-like pattern of a predetermined size, and then each beam is irradiated in a second shot order different from the first shot order.

[0010] A multi-charged particle beam drawing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a drawing unit that, while irradiating a multibeam including a plurality of charged particle beams onto a substrate placed on a continuously moving stage, performs a tracking operation so that the deflection position of the multibeam follows the movement of the stage; and, during the tracking operation, irradiates each beam of the multibeam onto each of a plurality of rectangular areas obtained by dividing the drawing area of ​​the substrate into a mesh-like shape; and a control unit that controls the drawing unit to irradiate each beam in a first shot order onto at least a portion of a plurality of pixels obtained by dividing the rectangular area into a mesh-like shape of a predetermined size, and then irradiate each beam in a second shot order different from the first shot order. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a decrease in drawing accuracy. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a drawing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a shaping aperture array member. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a drawing operation. [Figure 4]10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of multi-beam irradiation areas and pixels to be drawn. [Figure 5] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a multi-beam writing method. [Figure 6] FIG. 1(a) is a diagram showing an irradiation beam, and FIG. 1(b) is a diagram showing the shot sequence. [Figure 7] 10A is a diagram showing an example of shifting of shot positions, FIG. 10B is a diagram showing irradiation beams, and FIG. 10C is a diagram showing the shot order. [Figure 8] 10A is a diagram showing the shot order, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing the error distribution of the writing position. [Figure 9] 10A is a diagram showing the shot order, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing the error distribution of the writing position. [Figure 10] 10(a) and 10(b) are diagrams illustrating the direction in which the rendering process proceeds. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating error cancellation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment, a configuration using an electron beam as an example of a charged particle beam will be described. However, the charged particle beam is not limited to an electron beam, and an ion beam or the like may also be used.

[0014] 1 is a schematic diagram of a drawing apparatus according to this embodiment. The drawing apparatus includes a control unit 100, a storage unit 102, and a drawing unit 200. The drawing apparatus is an example of a multi-charged particle beam drawing apparatus. The drawing unit 200 includes an electron lens barrel 20 and a drawing chamber 30. Inside the electron lens barrel 20, an electron gun 21, an illumination lens 22, a shaping aperture array member 23, a blanking plate 24, a reduction lens 25, a limiting aperture member 26, an objective lens 27, and deflectors 28 and 29 are arranged. Both the reduction lens 25 and the objective lens 27 are electromagnetic lenses, and the reduction lens 25 and the objective lens 27 form a reduction optical system.

[0015] An XY stage 32 is arranged in the patterning chamber 30. A substrate 40 to be patterned is placed on the XY stage 32. The substrate 40 is an exposure mask used when manufacturing a semiconductor device, a semiconductor substrate (silicon wafer) on which a semiconductor device is manufactured, a mask blank coated with resist and on which nothing is yet to be patterned, or the like.

[0016] 2, apertures H are formed in a matrix of m rows and n columns (m, n≧2) at a predetermined arrangement pitch in the shaping aperture array member 23. Each aperture H is formed in the same rectangular or circular shape with the same dimensions.

[0017] Electron beam B emitted from electron gun 21 is illuminated almost perpendicularly onto the entire shaping aperture array member 23 by illumination lens 22. Electron beam B passes through a plurality of apertures H in shaping aperture array member 23, thereby forming an electron beam (multi-beam) MB with m rows and n columns.

[0018] The blanking plate 24 has passage holes formed in alignment with the positions of the apertures H of the shaping aperture array member 23. A pair of two electrodes (blankers: blanking deflectors) is disposed in each passage hole. A control voltage is applied to one of the two electrodes for each beam, and the other is grounded. The electron beams passing through each passage hole are deflected independently by the voltages applied to the pair of electrodes. Blanking control is performed by this deflection of the electron beams.

[0019] The multi-beams MB that have passed through the blanking plate 24 are reduced by the reduction lens 25 and proceed toward the central opening formed in the limiting aperture member 26. The electron beams deflected by the blanker of the blanking plate 24 move away from the central opening of the limiting aperture member 26 and are blocked by the limiting aperture member 26. On the other hand, the electron beams that have not been deflected by the blanker pass through the central opening of the limiting aperture member 26.

[0020] In this way, the limiting aperture member 26 blocks each beam deflected by the blanker to be in the beam-off state. Then, the beam for one shot is formed by the beams that pass through the limiting aperture member 26 from when the beams are turned on until when they are turned off.

[0021] The multi-beams MB that have passed through the limiting aperture member 26 are focused by the objective lens 27 to form a pattern image with a desired reduction ratio, and are deflected collectively by the deflectors 28 and 29 to be irradiated onto the substrate 40. For example, when the XY stage 32 is moving continuously, the deflector 28 (main deflector) controls the irradiation position of the beam so as to follow the movement of the XY stage 32.

[0022] The multiple beams MB irradiated at one time are ideally arranged at a pitch obtained by multiplying the above-mentioned desired reduction ratio by the arrangement pitch of the multiple apertures in the shaping aperture array member 23. The drawing device performs drawing operations using a raster scan method in which shot beams are continuously irradiated in order, and when drawing a desired pattern, the beams required for the pattern are turned on by blanking control.

[0023] For example, writing proceeds according to the following writing algorithm. As shown in Fig. 3, a writing region 50 on a substrate 40 is virtually divided into a plurality of rectangular stripe regions 52 with a predetermined width in the y direction. For example, the XY stage 32 is moved and adjusted so that an irradiation region 54 that can be irradiated with one multi-beam MB irradiation is positioned at the left end of the first stripe region 52, and writing begins. By moving the XY stage 32 in the -x direction, writing can proceed relatively in the +x direction.

[0024] After completing the drawing of the first stripe region 52, the stage position is moved in the -y direction to adjust the irradiation region to be positioned at the right end of the second stripe region 52, and drawing begins. Then, by moving the XY stage 32 in, for example, the +x direction, drawing is performed in the -x direction.

[0025] The writing time can be reduced by alternately changing the direction of writing, such as writing in the +x direction in the third stripe region 52 and writing in the -x direction in the fourth stripe region 52. However, writing is not limited to alternately changing the direction of writing, and writing in each stripe region 52 may proceed in the same direction.

[0026] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a multi-beam irradiation area and a pixel to be drawn. In FIG. 4, the stripe area 52 is divided into a plurality of mesh areas in a mesh shape, for example, based on the beam size of the multi-beam. Each mesh area becomes a pixel 60 to be drawn (a unit irradiation area or a drawing position). The size of the pixel 60 to be drawn is not limited to the beam size, and may be any size regardless of the beam size. For example, the pixel may be 1 / n (n is an integer equal to or greater than 1) of the beam size.

[0027] 4 shows a case where the drawing area of ​​the substrate 40 is divided, for example, in the y direction, into a plurality of stripe areas 52 each having a width substantially equal to the size of an irradiation area 54 (drawing field) that can be irradiated with a single irradiation of the multi-beam MB. However, the width of the stripe areas 52 is not limited to this.

[0028] The example of FIG. 4 shows the case of an 8×8 array of multi-beams. A plurality of (64 in this example) pixels 44 (beam drawing positions) that can be irradiated with one shot of the multi-beam MB are shown within the irradiation area 54. The pitch between adjacent pixels 44 is the pitch between each beam of the multi-beam. In the example of FIG. 4, a square area surrounded by four adjacent pixels 44 and including one pixel 44 of the four pixels 44 constitutes one grid 46. In the example of FIG. 4, each grid 46 is made up of 4×4 pixels.

[0029] Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a multi-beam writing method using a continuous movement system. Fig. 5 shows a grid written by eight beams in the first row in the y direction out of the multi-beams that write the stripe region 52 shown in Fig. 4. The eight beams in the first row in the y direction are beams that have passed through the openings H1 to H8 of the shaping aperture array member 23 shown in Fig. 2.

[0030] The example of Figure 5 shows a case where four pixels are drawn (exposed) while the XY stage 32 moves a distance (8p) equivalent to eight beam pitches. While the four pixels are drawn (exposed), the deflector 28 deflects the entire multi-beam MB collectively so that the relative position of the irradiation area 54 with respect to the substrate 40 does not shift due to the movement of the XY stage 32. This causes the irradiation area 54 to follow the movement of the XY stage 32. In other words, tracking control is performed. The example of Figure 5 shows a case where one tracking cycle is performed by drawing (exposing) four pixels while moving a distance equivalent to eight beam pitches.

[0031] If the writing time for each pixel is T, then between times t=0 and t=T, the first shot of beam is irradiated onto, for example, the first pixel from the left in the bottom row of the grid of interest. Between times t=0 and t=T, the XY stage 32 moves, for example, two beam pitches (2p) in the -x direction. During this time, the tracking operation continues. At t=0 in FIG. 5, each grid is irradiated with beams #1 to #8 that have passed through apertures H1 to H8 in the shaping aperture array member 23. For ease of explanation, only the irradiation position of beam #1 that passed through aperture H1 is shown for grids after t=T. Pixels that have already been irradiated with the beam are indicated by diagonal lines.

[0032] At time t=T, while the deflector 28 continues to deflect the beam for tracking control, the deflector 29 (sub-deflector) deflects the multiple beams collectively, separately from the beam deflection for tracking control. This shifts the drawing position of each beam. In the example of FIG. 5, the pixel to be drawn is shifted from the pixel in the bottom row and first from the left of the target grid to the pixel in the second row from the bottom and first from the left. During this time, the XY stage 32 moves at a constant speed, so the tracking operation continues.

[0033] Between times t=T and t=2T, the second shot of the beam is irradiated onto the pixel second from the bottom and first from the left of the grid of interest. Between times t=T and t=2T, the XY stage 32 moves two beam pitches in the -x direction. During this time, the tracking operation continues.

[0034] At time t=2T, the pixel to be written is shifted from the pixel second from the bottom and first from the left of the target grid to the pixel third from the bottom and first from the left by collective deflection of the multi-beams by the deflector 29. During this time, the XY stage 32 continues to move, so the tracking operation continues.

[0035] Between times t=2T and t=3T, the third shot of the beam is irradiated onto the pixel third from the bottom and first from the left of the grid of interest. Between times t=2T and t=3T, the XY stage 32 moves, for example, two beam pitches in the -x direction. During this time, the tracking operation continues.

[0036] At time t=3T, the pixel to be written is shifted from the pixel in the third row from the bottom and the first pixel from the left of the target grid to the pixel in the fourth row from the bottom and the first pixel from the left by collective deflection of the multi-beams by the deflector 29. During this time, the XY stage 105 is still moving, so the tracking operation continues.

[0037] Between times t=3T and t=4T, the fourth shot of the beam is irradiated onto the pixel in the fourth row from the bottom and the first pixel from the left of the grid of interest. Between times t=3T and t=4T, the XY stage 32 moves, for example, two beam pitches in the -x direction. During this time, the tracking operation continues. This completes the drawing of the first pixel row from the left of the grid of interest.

[0038] In the example of Figure 5, after irradiating the corresponding beams to the writing positions of each beam after three shifts from the initial shot position, the tracking position is returned to the tracking start position by resetting the beam deflection for tracking control. In other words, the tracking position is returned in the direction opposite to the stage movement direction. In the example of Figure 5, at time t = 4T, tracking of the target grid is released and the beam is redirected back to the target grid shifted by 8 beam pitches in the x direction. Note that in the example of Figure 5, beam #1 corresponding to aperture H1 has been described, but the other beams also perform writing on their corresponding grids in the same way.

[0039] Since the drawing of the first pixel row from the left of each grid has been completed, after the tracking reset, in the next tracking cycle, the deflector 29 first deflects the beam so that the drawing position of the beam is aligned (shifted) to the pixel in the first row from the bottom and the second from the left of each grid.

[0040] Between times t = 4T and t = 8T, the second pixel column from the left of the grid of interest is drawn. At time t = 8T, trunking of the grid of interest is released, and the beam is redirected back to the grid of interest shifted by 8 beam pitches in the x direction.

[0041] Since the drawing of the first and second pixel rows from the left of each grid has been completed, after the tracking is reset, in the next tracking cycle, the deflector 29 first deflects the beam so that the drawing position of the beam is aligned (shifted) to the pixel in the first row from the bottom and the third row from the left of each grid.

[0042] Between times t = 8T and t = 12T, the third pixel column from the left of the grid of interest is drawn. At time t = 12T, trunking of the grid of interest is released, and the beam is redirected back to the grid of interest shifted by 8 beam pitches in the x direction.

[0043] Since the drawing of the first to third pixel rows from the left of each grid has been completed, after the tracking reset, in the next tracking cycle, the deflector 29 first deflects the beam so that the drawing position is aligned (shifted) to the pixel in the first row from the bottom and the fourth row from the left of each grid.

[0044] As described above, during the same tracking cycle, deflector 28 controls irradiation area 54 so that its relative position relative to substrate 40 remains the same, and deflector 29 shifts it by one pixel to perform each shot. After one tracking cycle is completed, the tracking position of irradiation area 54 is returned, and the first shot position is aligned with a position shifted by one pixel. Then, while performing the next tracking control, deflector 29 shifts it by one pixel to perform each shot.

[0045] By repeating this operation, a pattern is written. For example, as shown in Figure 6(a), one grid is written one pixel column at a time by beams #1, #3, #5, and #7 corresponding to apertures H1, H3, H5, and H7.

[0046] Figure 6(b) shows the shot order of pixels in this grid. Beam #7 shoots the pixels in the first pixel column from the left, starting from the bottom. Next, beam #5 shoots the pixels in the second pixel column from the left, starting from the bottom. Next, beam #3 shoots the pixels in the third pixel column from the left, starting from the bottom. Next, beam #1 shoots the pixels in the fourth pixel column from the left, starting from the bottom.

[0047] During the writing process based on such a writing algorithm, the control unit 100 reads writing data from a storage device (not shown) and uses the pattern defined in the writing data to calculate the pattern area density ρ of all pixels 60 in each stripe region 52. The control unit 100 multiplies the pattern area density ρ by the reference dose D0 to calculate the dose ρD0 of the beam to be irradiated to each pixel 60.

[0048] In the examples shown in Figures 5 and 6, once one pixel row (four pixels) has been drawn, tracking is reset and the next pixel row is drawn, but the drawing device can use various drawing methods.

[0049] For example, in the drawing method shown in Figure 7(a), after drawing the first pixel from the left in the bottom row of the grid of interest and the second pixel from the left in the second row from the bottom, tracking is reset and the beam is redirected back to the grid of interest shifted by four beam pitches. Then, while performing tracking, the third pixel from the left in the third row from the bottom and the fourth pixel from the left in this grid are drawn.

[0050] Next, the tracking is reset, and the beam is redirected back to the adjacent grid of interest. The drawing position is aligned with the second pixel from the bottom and first pixel from the left of the grid, and while performing tracking, the second pixel from the bottom and first pixel from the left of this grid, and the third pixel from the bottom and second pixel from the left are drawn.

[0051] In a normal pattern written by this writing method, one grid is written by two pixels at a time using beams #1 to #8 corresponding to apertures H1 to H8, as shown in Fig. 7(b), for example. Fig. 7(c) shows the shot order of the pixels in this grid.

[0052] In this way, the number of beams irradiating one grid and the shot order of pixels within the grid can be set arbitrarily.

[0053] In multi-beam writing, differences in beam accuracy occur among the beams due to the positional accuracy of the apertures H provided in the shaping aperture array member 23 and distortion of the beam shape (shape of the entire beam array image). As described above, by irradiating one grid with multiple beams or irradiating adjacent pixels with different beams, writing errors caused by differences in accuracy among individual beams are averaged out, but some errors in the pattern writing position remain.

[0054] The inventors further discovered that errors in the pattern writing position vary depending on the shot order of pixels within a grid, and that the effects of errors in the writing position can be reduced by shooting pixels within the same grid in a first shot order and then in a second shot order different from the first shot order. When shooting a grid with multiple beams, these multiple beams are composed of beams from a certain row in a beam array, and since the tendency of distortion of the beam shape is reflected, the shot order that reduces errors can be predicted from that tendency.

[0055] Fig. 8(a) shows an example of the first shot order J1 of pixels in a grid consisting of 10 × 10 pixels, and Fig. 8(b) shows the error distribution of the drawing position in the grid when shots are taken in the first shot order J1.

[0056] 9(a) shows an example of a second shot order J2 for pixels in a grid consisting of 10x10 pixels. The second shot order J2 is different from the first shot order J1. In the second shot order J2, the shot order of pixels in the first shot order J1 where the shot order j is 1≦j≦50 is j+50, and the shot order of pixels in the first shot order J1 where the shot order j is 51≦j≦100 is j−50. In this example, the shot orders of all pixels in the grid are different between the first shot order J1 and the second shot order J2.

[0057] FIG. 9(b) shows the distribution of errors in the drawing position within the grid when shots are taken in the second shot order J2.

[0058] One stripe region 52 is written at least twice, and one grid is written in different shot orders.

[0059] For example, as shown in FIG. 10(a), an irradiation area 54 that can be irradiated with one multi-beam MB irradiation is adjusted to be located at the left end of the stripe area 52, and then writing is started. By moving the XY stage 32 in the -x direction, writing progresses relatively in the x direction. At this time, beam irradiation is performed in the first shot order J1. Hereinafter, one writing of the stripe area 52 is also referred to as one pass.

[0060] After the first drawing (first pass) of the stripe region 52 is completed, the irradiation region 54 is adjusted to be located at the right end of the same stripe region 52, as shown in Figure 10(b), and the XY stage 32 is moved in the x direction to relatively advance drawing (second pass) in the -x direction. At this time, beam irradiation is performed in the second shot order J2.

[0061] By irradiating one grid with beams in the first shot sequence J1 and the second shot sequence J2 to write a pattern, the respective position errors are added together and cancelled out, as shown in FIG.

[0062] The first shot order J1 and the second shot order J2 are calculated in advance by simulation and registered in the storage unit 102 as shot order data. At this time, it is preferable that the second shot order J2 is determined so as to cancel out any writing position error that occurs when writing is performed using the first shot order J1. For example, the second shot order J2 may be determined so as to result in a reverse writing order based on the first shot order J1 determined by simulation. Alternatively, the grid may be divided into 2x2 pixels, and the shot order may be swapped diagonally for each of the four pixels to determine the second shot order J2.

[0063] The control unit 100 reads out the shot order data from the storage unit 102, and irradiates the beam into a grid in a first shot order J1 in the first drawing of one stripe region 52, and irradiates the beam into the same grid in a second shot order J2 in the second drawing. Since the drawing position errors according to the respective shot orders are canceled out, it is possible to prevent a decrease in drawing accuracy.

[0064] In the above embodiment, an example of a writing algorithm has been described in which beams are irradiated in different shot orders to pixels in a grid obtained by dividing a writing area by the inter-beam pitch of the multi-beams, but the writing area may also be divided into multiple rectangular areas with sizes or units based on the writing algorithm, such as an integer multiple (e.g., 2 times) or an integer fraction (e.g., 1 / 2) of the inter-beam pitch. After each beam of the multi-beams is irradiated to all or some of the pixels in a rectangular area in a first shot order, each beam is irradiated in a second shot order different from the first shot order. When some of the pixels in a rectangular area are irradiated, gaps may be filled by multiple writing.

[0065] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the first pass of drawing is performed in the first shot order J1 while the XY stage 32 is moved in the -x direction, and the second pass of drawing is performed in the second shot order J2 while the XY stage 32 is moved in the x direction, but the first and second pass of drawing may also be performed while the XY stage 32 is moved in the -x direction, or the first and second pass of drawing may also be performed while the stage is moved in the x direction.

[0066] At this time, it is preferable that the stripe origins of the first and second passes are overlapped without being shifted in the y direction.

[0067] In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which two-stage deflectors 28 and 29 are provided, and deflector 28 performs tracking control while deflector 29 moves the beam within the grid, but the deflector may have a single stage configuration.

[0068] In a single-beam writing apparatus, when writing the same stripe region in multiple passes, the shot order may be changed for each pass.

[0069] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the components can be modified and embodied in practice without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, various inventions can be created by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above-described embodiments. For example, some components may be omitted from all the components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 20 Electron Telescope 21 Electron gun 22 Lighting lens 23 Shaped aperture array member 24 Blanking Plate 25. Reduction Lens 26 Limiting aperture member 27 Objective Lens 28, 29 Deflector 30 Drawing room 32 XY stage 40 boards 50 drawing area 52 Stripe Area 54 Irradiation area 100 control section 102 Storage section 200 Drawing section

Claims

1. performing a tracking operation while irradiating a substrate placed on a continuously moving stage with a multibeam including a plurality of charged particle beams so that the deflection position of the multibeam follows the movement of the stage; a step of irradiating, during the tracking operation, each beam of the multibeam onto each of a plurality of rectangular regions obtained by dividing a drawing region of the substrate into a mesh pattern, and irradiating a different beam onto each of the rectangular regions for each tracking cycle; Equipped with a multi-charged particle beam writing method, characterized in that the rectangular area is divided into a mesh of a predetermined size, and at least some of the pixels are irradiated with the beams in a first shot order, and then the beams are irradiated in a second shot order different from the first shot order.

2. the drawing area is divided into a plurality of stripe areas each having a predetermined width; Irradiating each stripe region with the multi-beam multiple times, 2. The multi-charged particle beam writing method according to claim 1, wherein the beams are irradiated in the first shot order in the first pass, and the beams are irradiated in the second shot order in the second pass.

3. performing the tracking operation using a first deflector; 3. A multi-charged particle beam writing method according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation position within the rectangular area is shifted using a second deflector.

4. a drawing unit that, while irradiating a substrate placed on a continuously moving stage with a multibeam including a plurality of charged particle beams, performs a tracking operation so that a deflection position of the multibeam follows movement of the stage, and, during the tracking operation, irradiates each beam of the multibeam onto a plurality of rectangular regions obtained by dividing a drawing region of the substrate into a mesh shape, and irradiates each rectangular region with a different beam for each tracking cycle; a control unit that controls the drawing unit to irradiate each of the beams in a first shot order onto at least some of a plurality of pixels obtained by dividing the rectangular area into a mesh shape of a predetermined size, and then irradiate each of the beams in a second shot order different from the first shot order; A multi-charged particle beam writing apparatus comprising:

5. the drawing area is divided into a plurality of stripe areas each having a predetermined width; 5. The multi-charged particle beam drawing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit controls the drawing unit to perform multiple passes of irradiating each stripe region with the multi-beams, irradiating each beam in the first shot order in a first pass, and irradiating each beam in the second shot order in a second pass.

Images