Patent ID: 6710361
Filing Date: 2004-03-23
Classification: B82Y,H01J

Abstract:
An electron beam lithography system for controllably directing a set of electron beams at a workpiece comprising:at least one solenoid coil for generating a solenoid field parallel to a system axis; an array of electron guns for generating a set of initial electron beams travelling within said solenoid field along beam axes parallel to said system axis, said electron guns being disposed in a first solenoid field in a first vertical section of said system, said set of beams having a common focal plane at a set of shaping apertures disposed in a bottom of said first vertical section of said system; a set of beam manipulation subsystems, said set of beam manipulation subsystems forming an array of subsystems disposed within said solenoid field and comprising: an upper set of electrostatic deflection members in each of said subsystems, for deflecting corresponding ones of said set of electron beams over a set of shaping apertures, thereby generating a corresponding set of shaped beams; a set of passive demagnifying lenses, having a fixed demagnification factor, for focusing said corresponding set of shaped beams, reduced in cross section by said demagnification factor, said set of demagnifying lenses being located in a second solenoid field in a second vertical section of said system; and a lower set of deflection members for directing said corresponding set of shaped beams on said workpiece, in which a third vertical section of said system contains sets of controllable deflection members located in a third solenoid field for deflecting said set of beams to locations on said workpiece, each of said first, second and third solenoid fields focusing said set of beams on common first, second and third focal planes.