# US 11,275,044 B2 · Anomaly determination method and writing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,275,044 B2 - Document ID: US11275044B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/502,431 - Filed: 2019-07-03 - Published: 2020-03-05 - Granted: 2022-03-15 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-31 - Assignees: NuFlare Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Nuflare Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Shun Kanezawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11275044B2 ## CPC - G01N 27/20: Investigating the presence of flaws - G01N 27/041: {of a solid body} - H01J 37/20: Means for supporting or positioning the object or the material; Means for adjusting diaphragms or lenses associated with the support - H01J 37/244: Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor - H01J 37/3174: {Particle-beam lithography, e.g. electron beam lithography} - H01J 2237/004: Charge control of objects or beams - H01J 2237/2007: Holding mechanisms - H01J 2237/204: Means for introducing and/or outputting objects - H01J 2237/31754: using electron beams - H01J 2237/31798: detecting pattern defects - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract An anomaly determination method of the present embodiment includes: measuring a first resistance value of a processing target via a first grounding member when the first grounding member is attached to the processing target in a first chamber; bringing the first grounding member into contact with a grounded second grounding member to measure a second resistance value of the processing target via the first and second grounding members in a second chamber; and determining an anomaly of the second grounding member with an arithmetic processing unit based on a trend of a resistance difference between the first resistance value and the second resistance value for a plurality of processing targets. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An anomaly determination method using a writing apparatus, the writing apparatus comprising a first chamber capable of attaching a first grounding body to a processing target which has a conductive film and a resist film stacked on a substrate, the first grounding body configured to ground the processing target, or of accommodating the processing target for positioning the processing target, a second chamber capable of accommodating the processing target for writing a predetermined pattern to the processing target with a charged particle beam, and an arithmetic processing circuitry configured to determine a resistance value of the processing target, the method comprising: measuring a first resistance value of the processing target via the first grounding body and determining whether the first resistance value is less than a predetermined value, after the first grounding body is attached to the processing target and a pin portion of the first ground body breaks through the resist film to contact the conductive film, in the first chamber; transferring the first grounding body to the second chamber while being attached to the processing target, after measuring the first resistance value; bringing the first grounding body into contact with a second grounding body while being attached to the processing target in the second chamber, the second grounding body being configured to measure a second resistance value of the processing target via the first and second grounding bodies; determining an anomaly of the second grounding body with the arithmetic processing circuitry based on a trend of a resistance difference between the first resistance value and the second resistance value for a plurality of processing targets; and releasing electric charges accumulated in the processing target to ground via the first grounding body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the arithmetic processing circuitry is configured to determine the anomaly of the second grounding body based on a number of times the resistance difference surpasses a first threshold value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the arithmetic processing circuitry is configured to determine that there is the anomaly in the second grounding body when the number of times surpasses a second threshold value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the arithmetic processing circuitry is configured to determine the anomaly of the second grounding body based on a frequency at which the resistance difference surpasses a first threshold value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the arithmetic processing circuitry is configured to determine the anomaly of the second grounding body based on a frequency at which the resistance difference surpasses the first threshold value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein the arithmetic processing circuitry is configured to determine the anomaly of the second grounding body based on a frequency at which the resistance difference surpasses the first threshold value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: writing the predetermined pattern to the processing target with the charged particle beam in the second chamber when it is determined that there is no anomaly in the second grounding body; and shifting a contact point of the first grounding body with respect to the second grounding body when it is determined that there is the anomaly in the second grounding body. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, further comprising: writing the predetermined pattern to the processing target with the charged particle beam in the second chamber when it is determined that there is no anomaly in the second grounding body; and shifting a contact point of the first grounding body with respect to the second grounding body when it is determined that there is the anomaly in the second grounding body. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, further comprising: writing the predetermined pattern to the processing target with the charged particle beam in the second chamber when it is determined that there is no anomaly in the second grounding body; and shifting a contact point of the first grounding body with respect to the second grounding body when it is determined that there is the anomaly in the second grounding body. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, further comprising: writing the predetermined pattern to the processing target with the charged particle beam in the second chamber when it is determined that there is no anomaly in the second grounding body; and shifting a contact point of the first grounding body with respect to the second grounding body when it is determined that there is the anomaly in the second grounding body. ### Claim 11 A writing apparatus comprising: a first chamber capable of attaching a first grounding body to a processing target to ground the processing target or of accommodating the processing target for positioning the processing target which has a conductive film and a resist film stacked on a substrate; a second chamber capable of accommodating the processing target for writing a predetermined pattern to the processing target with a charged particle beam; a first resistance measuring circuitry configured to measure a first resistance value of the processing target via the first grounding body and determining whether the first resistance value is less than a predetermined value, after the first grounding body grounding the processing target is attached to the processing target and a pin portion of the first grounding body breaks through the resist film to contact the conductive film; a second resistance measuring circuitry configured to bring the first grounding body into contact with a second grounding body and measuring a second resistance value of the processing target mounted on the second grounding body via the first and second grounding bodies, while the first grounding body is attached to the processing target, when writing to the processing target in the second chamber; and an arithmetic processing circuitry configured to determine an anomaly of the second grounding body based on a trend of a resistance difference between the first resistance value and the second resistance value for a plurality of processing targets, wherein the first grounding body releases electric charges accumulated in the processing target to ground. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the arithmetic processing circuitry is configured to determine the anomaly of the second grounding body based on a number of times the resistance difference surpasses a first threshold value. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the arithmetic processing circuitry is configured to determine the anomaly of the second grounding body when the number of times surpasses a second threshold value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the arithmetic processing circuitry is configured to determine the anomaly of the second grounding body based on a frequency at which the resistance difference surpasses a first threshold value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, when it is determined that there is no anomaly in the second grounding body, the predetermined pattern is written to the processing target with the charged particle beam in the second chamber; and when it is determined that there is the anomaly in the second grounding body, a contact point of the first grounding body with respect to the second grounding body is shifted.