Charged Particle Beam Writing Region Division for Processing Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
In charged particle beam writing apparatuses, regions without patterns cause prolonged processing times due to the need to read beam doses and calculate correction coefficients, leading to variability in processing times across different regions with varying pattern densities.
Innovation Solution
A method where the writing region is divided into overlapping regions with and without patterns, allowing for separate data processing, thereby avoiding unnecessary calculations and dose readings in patternless regions, and combining adjacent patternless regions to optimize processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the writing region is divided into processing regions with equal number of shots, then the variability of processing time is reduced, but the total processing time increases due to reading dose maps and calculating correction coefficients in large patternless regions
Solution Approach 1:
The writing region is divided into multiple processing regions, but with a twist: the division is optimized based on pattern density rather than equal shot distribution. Regions with patterns are further subdivided into smaller processing regions, while patternless regions are merged with adjacent regions to form larger processing regions that can be processed more efficiently as a whole, reducing the overhead of multiple separate processing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Different processing strategies are applied to different regions based on their local characteristics. Pattern-containing regions undergo full processing including dose map reading and correction coefficient calculation, while patternless regions are processed differently by merging them with adjacent regions to minimize unnecessary processing steps and reduce total processing time.
2Device complexity
If processing regions are made large to include patternless regions, then fewer processing regions are needed, but the time to read dose maps and calculate correction coefficients increases
Solution Approach 1:
The processing region configuration is made dynamic and adaptive rather than static. The system automatically adjusts the size and boundaries of processing regions based on the local pattern density and distribution, creating an optimized processing structure that balances the number of regions with the processing time required for each region.
3Ease of manufacture
If the writing region is divided into equal-sized regions, then the division is simple, but processing time varies greatly due to different pattern densities in each region
Solution Approach 1:
The division criterion changes from fixed geometric parameters (equal size) to functional parameters (pattern density, shot distribution). This allows processing regions to be sized and shaped according to the actual work required in each region, ensuring more uniform processing times across all regions while maintaining reasonable division complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a storage unit to store writing data of a region to be written in a target object, a first dividing unit to read the writing data and divide the region to be written into at least one first data processing region that overlaps with at least a first region where a pattern has been arranged, and at least one second data processing region that overlaps with a second region where no pattern is arranged without overlapping with the first region, a data processing unit to perform data processing of predetermined data processing contents for at least one first data processing region without performing the data processing for at least one second data processing region, and a writing unit to write a pattern on the target object, based on processed data.