Electron beam scribing method

A method of scribing a predetermined pattern on the surface of a specimen with an electron beam of a rectangular cross-section having a long side and a short side, the surface of the specimen being divided into matrix imaginary regions, each of said matrix imaginary regions being composed of band-shaped imaginary regions each of which has a long side and a short side, and each of the band-shaped imaginary regions being composed of a plurality of fine imaginary regions, comprising the steps of:

• (1) scanning each of predetermined ones of the band-shaped imaginary regions in each of predetermined ones of the matrix imaginary regions with the electron beam to electromagnetically deflect the same from one to another of predetermined ones of the fine imaginary regions in each of the predetermined band-shaped imaginary regions in a stepped manner in the direction of the long side of the rectangular cross-section of the electron beam and to electrostatically deflect the electron beam in each of the predetermined fine imaginary regions in the direction of the short side of the rectangular cross-section of the electron beam during periods between stepped deflections of the electron beam in the direction of the long side of the rectangular cross-section thereof, with the direction of the long side of the rectangular cross-section of the electron beam coinciding substantially with the direction of the long side of the band-shaped imaginary regions;
• (2) electromagnetically deflecting the electron beam to expose each of the predetermined band-shaped imaginary regions in each of the predetermined matrix imaginary regions to said electron beam in a stepped manner;
• and
• (3) two-dimensionally shifting the specimen to expose each of the predetermined matrix imaginary regions to the electron beam in a stepped manner.