Charged Particle Beam Lithography Multiple-Beam Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional charged particle beam lithography systems face limitations in throughput due to the inability to increase beam current and reduce unnecessary movement time, leading to inefficiencies in pattern writing for semiconductor wafers, especially with the use of multiple beams which are limited by the complexity of deflection amplifiers and electrode size.
Innovation Solution
A charged particle beam lithography apparatus with multiple-beam sets, each comprising independent irradiation sources, objective deflectors, electrostatic or electromagnetic lens fields, and common deflection amplifiers to control multiple beams collectively, allowing for increased beam current and reduced pattern writing time through optimized beam focusing and deflection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple beams are used to increase throughput, then beam average current increases, but the number of deflection amplifiers required increases proportionally, making the system complex and difficult to control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control functions by making deflection amplifiers common to multiple beam sets. Instead of having separate deflection amplifiers for each beam, the same deflection amplifiers are shared across multiple beam sets, thereby reducing the total number of deflection amplifiers required while maintaining the ability to control multiple beams simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The deflection amplifiers are designed to serve multiple functions and multiple beam sets simultaneously. A single deflection amplifier can control deflection for multiple different beam sets, making the system more universal and reducing the overall component count while maintaining high throughput capability.
2Quantity of substance
If individual columns are controlled independently to increase beam current, then more beams can be emitted, but the control system complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the control systems by using common deflection amplifiers for multiple beam sets. This merging approach allows individual columns to maintain independent beam emission capability while sharing the deflection control infrastructure, thereby increasing total beam current without proportionally increasing control system complexity.
3Productivity
If the number of beams is increased to improve mass production, then throughput increases, but the electrode size and deflection amplifier count become prohibitively large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges deflection control resources by allowing common deflection amplifiers to serve multiple beam sets. This approach enables the system to handle a large number of beams for improved mass production capability without requiring proportionally larger electrodes or more deflection amplifiers, as the control resources are shared across multiple beams.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration significantly improves throughput by allowing for higher beam current and reduced pattern writing time, enabling more efficient mass production of semiconductor wafers by simplifying the control of deflection amplifiers and increasing the number of beams that can be effectively used.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of electrostatic or electromagnetic lens fields each to focus the corresponding charged particle beam on the target object
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of electrostatic or electromagnetic lens fields each to focus the corresponding charged particle beam on the target object
Implementation Method 3
objective deflectors, each arranged for a corresponding charged particle beam, and configured to deflect the corresponding charged particle beam to a desired position on a substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A charged particle beam lithography apparatus, includes a plurality of multiple-beam sets, each of which including a plurality of irradiation sources each generating an independent charged particle beam, a plurality of objective deflectors, each arranged for a corresponding charged particle beam, and configured to deflect the corresponding charged particle beam to a desired position on a substrate, and a plurality of electrostatic or electromagnetic lens fields each to focus the corresponding charged particle beam on the target object; a plurality of common deflection amplifiers, arranged for each multiple-beam set, and each of the plurality of common deflection amplifiers being configured to commonly control the plurality of objective deflectors arranged in a same multiple-beam set; a plurality of individual ON/OFF mechanisms configured to individually turn ON/OFF a beam irradiated from each irradiation source; and one or more multiple-beam clusters including the plurality of multiple-beam sets.