Patent ID: 8604411

Claim:
A charged particle lithography system for transferring a pattern onto the surface of a target, comprising: a beam generator for generating a plurality of charged particle beamlets, the plurality of beamlets defining a column; a beam stop array having a surface for blocking beamlets from reaching the target surface and an array of apertures in the surface for allowing the beamlets to reach the target surface; and a modulation device for modulating the beamlets to prevent one or more of the beamlets from reaching the target surface or allow one or more of the beamlets to reach the target surface, by deflecting or not deflecting the beamlets so that the beamlets are blocked or not blocked by the beam stop array, the modulation device comprising: a plurality of apertures arranged in arrays for letting the beamlets pass through the modulation device; a plurality of modulators associated with the plurality of apertures, each modulator being provided with electrodes extending on opposing sides of an associated aperture for generating an electric field across the aperture; and a plurality of light sensitive elements arranged in arrays, for receiving modulated light beams and converting the light beams into electric signals for actuating the modulators; wherein a surface area of the modulation device comprises an elongated beam area comprising an array of apertures and associated modulators, and a power interface area for accommodating a power arrangement for suitably powering elements within the modulation device, the power interface area being located alongside a long side of the elongated beam area and extending in a direction substantially parallel thereto.