Patent ID: 7102147

Claim:
A charged particle beam exposure method for exposing a predetermined pattern by irradiation of a charged particle beam for each deflection area in which a charged particle beam can be irradiated by deflection of the charged particle beam, the exposure method comprising: placing an aperture mask having a plurality of character openings in an exposure apparatus that includes a shaping deflector which deflects the charged particle beam on the aperture mask and an irradiation positioning deflector which deflects the charged particle beam shaped by the character opening on a sample; applying a first voltage to the shaping deflector, the first voltage deflects the charged particle beam at an first character opening; sequentially exposing all the character patterns which can be exposed by a first character beam which is the charged particle beam shaped by the first character opening in the deflection area after a stabilization time set as a function of a shaping deflection voltage that is applied to the shaping deflector has elapsed after applying the first voltage; applying a second voltage to the shaping deflector after all the character patterns in the deflection area have been exposed by the first character beam, the second voltage deflects the charged particle beam at a second character opening which is a next character opening of the first character opening; sequentially exposing all the character patterns which can be exposed by a second character beam which is the charged particle beam shaped by the second character opening in the deflection area after the stabilization time set as a function of the shaping deflection voltage has elapsed after applying the second voltage; wherein the charged particle beam is deflected at a predetermined deflection path in which a charged particle beam selects each of the character openings for use in exposure in the deflection area; and wherein the predetermined deflection path is a deflection path with the shortest distance, of the deflection paths in which the charged particle beam passes through the respective character openings one time.