Charged Particle Beam Exposure Stage Position Prediction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-beam exposure techniques face challenges in machining line patterns with different line widths and pitches, and movement errors during the exposure process lead to positioning and dosage errors.
Innovation Solution
An exposure apparatus and method that includes a beam generating section, a stage section, a detecting section, a predicting section, and an irradiation control section, which generates and predicts the drive amount of the stage section, and performs irradiation control based on the predicted drive amount to correct for movement errors and achieve precise exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multi-beam exposure is used to machine line patterns, then exposure efficiency is improved, but the ability to machine line patterns with different line widths and pitches deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of the stage velocity by predicting future position based on detected position and adjusting the drive amount accordingly. This allows the system to adapt to varying pattern requirements while maintaining high-speed multi-beam exposure, resolving the contradiction between exposure efficiency and adaptability to different line patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback control by detecting the actual stage position, comparing it with the predicted position, and adjusting the beam irradiation control based on the difference. This feedback mechanism enables the system to maintain high exposure efficiency while adapting to different line width and pitch requirements through real-time position correction.
2Productivity
If the stage is moved at high velocity during exposure, then productivity is improved, but movement errors increase causing exposure position and dosage errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by predicting the stage drive amount based on detected position before actual irradiation occurs. This prediction allows the system to pre-calculate compensation values for movement errors, enabling high-velocity stage movement while maintaining exposure position accuracy through advance correction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback control to detect actual stage position, predict the drive amount, and adjust beam irradiation based on the difference between detected and predicted positions. This continuous feedback loop maintains manufacturing precision even at high exposure speeds by real-time correction of movement errors.
3Device complexity
If conventional exposure control is used without movement prediction, then device complexity is reduced, but exposure position and dosage control precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by detecting stage position, predicting drive amount, and adjusting beam irradiation based on position differences. This feedback mechanism achieves high exposure control precision while keeping the device complexity manageable through a systematic approach to movement compensation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical positioning systems with a prediction-based control system that uses detected position to calculate and apply correction factors. This substitution achieves high precision exposure control with reduced mechanical complexity by using computational methods instead of purely mechanical solutions.
Data Source
AI summary
Complex and fine patterns may be formed by an exposure apparatus that decreases movement error of a stage including a beam generating section that generates a charged particle beam, a stage section that has a sample mounted thereon and moves the sample relative to the beam generating section, a detecting section that detects a position of the stage section, a predicting section that generates a predicted drive amount obtained by predicting a drive amount of the stage section based on a detected position of the stage section, and an irradiation control section that performs irradiation control for irradiating the sample with the charged particle beam, based on the predicted drive amount.