Patent ID: 6175122
Filing Date: 2001-01-16
Classification: B82Y,H01J

Abstract:
A method of writing in parallel with shaped-beam e-beams a set of subfields extending along a y-axis on a workpiece comprising the steps of:establishing a substantially uniform magnetic field parallel to a z-axis perpendicular to said y-axis, extending from a source plane perpendicular to said z-axis to a workpiece plane perpendicular to said z-axis, said source and workpiece planes being separated along said z-axis by a distance of less than 20 cm;generating a parallel electric field parallel to said z-axis and extending between said source plane and a beam shaping plane between said source plane and said workpiece plane, said parallel electric field and said magnetic field having magnitudes related to one another and to an emitter location of said source plane along said z-axis and a shaping location of said beam shaping plane along said z-axis such that a set of at least two electron beams forms a set of images of a corresponding set of emitting sources thereof at said beam shaping plane;generating said set of at least two electron beams from said set of emitting sources disposed in an emitter array comprising at least one row of at least two electron emitting sources disposed in said source plane at said emitter location on said z-axis and at source locations separated by source intervals along said y-axis, said source locations extending along said y-axis, and directing said set of at least two electron beams along a set of at least two beam axes parallel to said z-axis toward said workpiece plane;directing said set of at least two electron beams toward a shaping array of at least one row of at least two beam shaping apertures disposed in a beam shaping plane at a shaping location along said z-axis, said beam shaping apertures being disposed along said y-axis at said source intervals and aligned with corresponding sources in said emitter array;deflecting said set of at least two electron beams with respect to said shaping array by operation of a beam shaping deflector array of at least one row of at least two deflector modules disposed in a beam shaping deflector region between said source plane and said beam shaping plane, said beam shaping deflector region having beam shaping deflector apertures therein, being disposed along said y-axis at said source intervals and being aligned with corresponding sources in said emitter array;directing said first set of at least two electron beams through a deflector array of at least one row of at least two parallel deflector electrodes disposed along said z-axis between said beam shaping plane and said workpiece plane, parallel to said y-axis and disposed along an x-axis perpendicular to said y-axis and to said z-axis on opposite sides of a first row of electron beams contained within said set of at least two electron beams along said x-axis;generating at least one deflection electric field parallel to said x-axis and deflecting therewith said first row of said set of at least two electron beams in parallel within a deflection range along said y-axis, said magnetic field having a magnitude related to said shaping location and a workpiece location on said z-axis of said workpiece plane, such that said set of parallel beams forms a set of images of said emitting sources at said workpiece plane, said set of images intersecting said workpiece plane at substantially uniform image intervals along said y-axis, whereby all of said first row of said set of at least two electron beams travel in parallel paths, said parallel paths being parallel to said z-axis between said source plane and said beam shaping plane and said parallel paths having a common angle with respect to said z-axis between said beam shaping plane and said workpiece plane; supporting with stage means and moving said workpiece along said x-axis in said workpiece plane; andcontrolling said set of at least two electron beams by system control means in synchronism with said stage means to write simultaneously said set of subfields on said workpiece.