PURPOSE: To realize a signal detection method for charged particle beam lithography equipment which can improve the accuracy of marking position detection after scaling and further improve the writing accuracy in the following process.

CONSTITUTION: A scaling value S and electron beam sizes X2 and Y2 are set in a computer 11. The computer 11 controls variable resistors 22 and 23 of deflection amplifiers 16 and 18 and sets X2/S and Y2/S as beam size data for marking detection to be supplied by a data transfer circuit 13 and shot separator 14. As a result, when the data X2/S and Y2/S are to be passed through the amplifier 16, their amplification factors are controlled depending on the scaling value. Therefore, in the signals which are supplied to a forming deflector 5, the scaling value S component is cancelled and the signals become beam size signals X2 and Y2 which have not been scaled yet.