Fei Comapny

Cabot Corporation

Superior Micropowders LLC

Clive D Chandler

Mark J Hampden-Smith

Toivo T Kodas

James F Caruso

Daniel J Skamser

Quint H Powell

Mark Utlaut

Noel S Smith

Steven J Randolph

Paul P Tesch

Dave Tuggle

Chad Rue

Milos Toth

N William Parker

David William Tuggle

Charlene Lobo

Richard J Young

Marcus Straw

Robert L Gerlach

Aurelien Philippe Jean Maclou Botman

Andrew B Wells

Jorge Filevich

J David Casey, Jr

Christian R Musil

Igor Aharonovich

Daniel Woodrow Phifer, Jr

Thomas J Gannon

Marc Castagna

Xiadong Da

Olga Shimoni

Gavin Hartigan

Wayne Kurowski

Mehran Kianinia

Karl D Van Der Mast

Mark W Utlaut

Tovio T Kodas

Smith Noel

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a method and system for producing a halogen gas. The method may comprise contacting a solid oxidizing agent with a vapor comprising a halide compound, to produce a gas stream comprising a halogen corresponding to the halide in the halide compound. The halide compound may be an acyl halide, such as an acetyl halide or an oxalyl halide. The oxidizing agent may be any suitable oxidizing agent, and in certain examples, potassium permanganate is used. The method may be performed under a reduced pressure. Also disclosed herein is a system suitable to perform the disclosed method. The system may comprise a reservoir, an oxidizing agent support and a gas stream outlet.

Halogen generator

Beam-induced deposition decomposes a precursor at precise positions on a surface. The surface is processed to provide linker groups on the surface of the deposit, and the sample is processed to attach nano-objects to the linker groups. The nano-objects are used in a variety of application. When a charged particle beam is used to decompose the precursor, the charged particle beam can be used to form an image of the surface with the nano-objects attached.

Attachment of nano-objects to beam-deposited structures

A micromachining process includes exposing the work piece surface to a precursor gas including a compound having an acid halide functional group; and irradiating the work piece surface with a beam in the presence of the precursor gas, the precursor gas reacting in the presence of the particle beam to remove material from the work piece surface.

Charged particle beam-induced etching

A method and system for improved planar deprocessing of semiconductor devices using a focused ion beam system. The method comprises defining a target area to be removed, the target area including at least a portion of a mixed copper and dielectric layer of a semiconductor device; directing a precursor gas toward the target area; and directing a focused ion beam toward the target area in the presence of the precursor gas, thereby removing at least a portion of a first mixed copper and dielectric layer and producing a uniformly smooth floor in the milled target area. The precursor gas causes the focused ion beam to mill the copper at substantially the same rate as the dielectric. In a preferred embodiment, the precursor gas comprises methyl nitroacetate. In alternative embodiments, the precursor gas is methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, ethyl nitroacetate, propyl acetate, propyl nitroacetate, nitro ethyl acetate, methyl methoxyacetate, or methoxy acetylchloride.

Gas injection system with precursor for planar deprocessing of semiconductor devices using a focused ion beam

A system for creating a substantially planar face in a substrate, the system including directing one or more beams at a first surface of a substrate to remove material from a first location, the beam being offset from a normal to the first surface by a curtaining angle; sweeping the one or more beams in a plane that is perpendicular to the first surface to mill one or more initial cuts, the initial cuts exposing a second surface that is substantially perpendicular to the first surface; rotating the substrate about an axis other than an axis normal to the first beam or parallel to the first beam; directing the first beam at the second surface to remove additional material from the substrate without changing the curtaining angle; and scanning the one or more beams in across the second surface to mill one or more finishing cuts.

Lamella creation method and device using fixed-angle beam and rotating sample stage

A method and apparatus for directing light or gas or both to a specimen positioned within about 2 mm from the lower end of a charged particle beam column. The charged particle beam column assembly includes a platform defining a specimen holding position and has a set of electrostatic lenses each including a set of electrodes. The assembly includes a final electrostatic lens that includes a final electrode that is closest to the specimen holding position. This final electrode defines at least one internal passageway having a terminus that is proximal to and directed toward the specimen holding position.

Integrated light optics and gas delivery in a charged particle lens

The present invention provides a plasma ion beam system that includes multiple gas sources and that can be used for performing multiple operations using different ion species to create or alter submicron features of a work piece. The system preferably uses an inductively coupled, magnetically enhanced ion beam source, suitable in conjunction with probe-forming optics sources to produce ion beams of a wide variety of ions without substantial kinetic energy oscillations induced by the source, thereby permitting formation of a high resolution beam.

Multi-source plasma focused ion beam system

An improved method of beam deposition to deposit a low-resistivity metal. Preferred embodiments of the present invention use a novel focused ion beam induced deposition precursor to deposit low-resistivity metallic material such as tin. Applicants have discovered that by using a methylated or ethylated metal such as hexamethylditin as a precursor, material can be deposited having a resistivity as low as 40 &#x3bc;&#x3a9;&#xb7;cm.

Beam-induced deposition of low-resistivity material

Gas flow from multiple gas sources into a sample chamber of a beam system is controlled by a cycling valve for each gas source, with the gas pressure in the sample chamber being determined by the relative time that the valve is opened and the upstream pressure at the valve. A gas valve positioned inside the vacuum chamber allows rapid response in shutting off a gas. In some preferred embodiments, a precursor gas is supplied from a solid or liquid material in a container that remains outside the vacuum system while in use and which is readily connected or disconnected to the gas injection system without significant leakage.

Gas delivery for beam processing systems

A gas injection system provides a local region at the sample surface that has sufficient gas concentration to be ionized by secondary electrons to neutralize charged on the sample surface. In some embodiments, a gas concentration structure concentrates the gas near the surface. An optional hole in the gas concentration structure allows the charged particle beam to impact the interior of a shrouded region. In some embodiments, an anode near the surface increases the number of ions that return to the work piece surface for charge neutralization, the anode in some embodiments being a part of the gas injection system and in some embodiments being a separate structure.

Environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM/SEM) gas injection apparatus with anode integrated with gas concentrating structure

Precursor for planar deprocessing of semiconductor devices using a focused ion beam

A cluster source is used to assist charged particle beam processing. For example, a protective layer is applied using a cluster source and a precursor gas. The large mass of the cluster and the low energy per atom or molecule in the cluster restricts damage to within a few nanometers of the surface. Fullerenes or clusters of fullerenes, bismuth, gold or Xe can be used with a precursor gas to deposit material onto a surface, or can be used with an etchant gas to etch the surface. Clusters can also be used to deposit material directly onto the surface to form a protective layer for charged particle beam processing or to provide energy to activate an etchant gas.

Charged particle-beam processing using a cluster source

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Clive D Chandler