Patent ID: 8223320

Claim:
A method of exposure using a variable shaped beam, the method comprising: determining whether a design size of a beam shot is less than a value or greater than the value, the beam shot being used to expose a circuit pattern; linearly correcting the size of the beam shot, if the design size is greater than the value; and non-linearly correcting the size of the beam shot, if the design size is less than the value, wherein the design size less than the value includes the beam shot where at least one of a design size in a first direction and a design size in a second direction is less than the value, the first direction being an X-axis direction and the second direction being a Y-axis direction, and wherein the non-linearly correcting comprises, p 2 determining a correction amount of the beam shot, in at least one of the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, the correction amount being based on the design size, the determining the correction amount occurring in advance of producing a beam shot, and controlling the design sizes of the beam shot in the at least one of the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, on the basis of the correction amount.