Patent ID: 6768125
Filing Date: 2004-07-27
Classification: B82Y,H01J

Abstract:
A device for defining a pattern, for use in a particle-beam exposure apparatus, said device adapted to be irradiated with a beam of electrically charged particles and allow passage of the beam only through a plurality of apertures, said device comprising:an aperture array having a plurality of apertures of identical shape defining the shape of beamlets permeating said apertures; and a blanking means for switching off the passage of selected beamlets, said blanking means having a plurality of openings, each opening corresponding to a respective aperture of the aperture array and being provided with a controllable deflection means for deflecting particles radiated through the opening off their path to an absorbing surface within said exposure apparatus, wherein the apertures and corresponding openings are arranged on the blanking means and the aperture array within a pattern definition field being composed of a plurality of staggered lines of apertures, and wherein each of the lines is segmented into at least one first segment which is free of apertures and at least one second segment which comprises a number of apertures disposed next to each other by a row offset which is a multiple of the width of apertures, the length of said first segment being greater than the row offset.