Patent ID: 6936831
Filing Date: 2005-08-30
Classification: B82Y,G03F,H01J

Abstract:
1. A charged-particle-beam (CPB) microlithography apparatus, comprising: a reticle stage configured to hold a reticle defining a pattern and divided into multiple subfields each defining a respective portion of the pattern, at least some of the subfields being grouped on the reticle so as to form first and second stripes that are mutually complementary to each other, wherein the first and second mutually complementary stripes are arranged on the reticle with an intervening stripe being situated between the first and second complementary stripes; an illumination-optical system situated upstream of the reticle stage and configured to direct an illumination beam at a location on the reticle so as to produce a charged-particle patterned beam from particles of the illumination beam passing through the illuminated location on the reticle; a projection-optical system situated downstream of the reticle stage and configured to direct the patterned beam from the reticle onto a region of the sensitive substrate corresponding to the illuminated region of the reticle; a substrate stage situated downstream of the projection-optical system and configured to provide a surface on which the sensitive substrate is mounted for exposure; and a controller connected to and configured to control operation of the reticle stage, the substrate stage, the illumination-optical system and the projection-optical system during exposure of the pattern from the reticle to the sensitive substrate, the controller being further configured to expose the first and second mutually complementary stripes in a sequential manner onto the sensitive substrate.