Tel Epion Corporation

Tel Manufacturing and Engineering of America, Inc.

Kenneth P Regan

Matthew C Gwinn

Michael A Graf

Martin D Tabat

Allen J Leith

Robert K Becker

Yan Shao

Christopher K Olsen

Martin Tabat

A method for processing a substrate that includes: applying, at an ionizer, a drive pulse train to an ion source to ionize a gas cluster beam and transfer the drive pulse train to the gas cluster beam; measuring, at a detector exposed to the gas cluster beam, a beam current synchronously with the drive pulse train; obtaining time-of-flight information of the clusters and the monomers in the gas cluster beam based on the beam current and the drive pulse train; determining size information relating to a size distribution of clusters and monomers in the gas cluster ion beam based on the time-of-flight information; adjusting a process parameter of the gas cluster beam based on the size information; and exposing the substrate to the gas cluster beam with the adjusted process parameter.

Tuning gas cluster ion beam systems

An apparatus and method for processing a workpiece with a beam is described. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber having a beam-line for forming a particle beam and treating a workpiece with the particle beam, and a scanner for translating the workpiece through the particle beam. The apparatus further includes a scanner control circuit coupled to the scanner, and configured to control a scan property of the scanner, and a beam control circuit coupled to at least one beam-line component, and configured to control the beam flux of the particle beam according to a duty cycle for switching between at least two different states during processing.

Compensated location specific processing apparatus and method

Provided is a method of controlling a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) system for processing structures on a substrate. A GCIB system comprises deflection plates for directing a GCIB towards a substrate, the GCIB system coupled to a substrate scanning device configured to move a substrate in three dimensions. The substrate is exposed to the GCIB while the substrate is being moved by the substrate scanning device. A controller is used to control a set of deflection operating parameters comprising a deflection angle &#x3c6;, voltage differential of the deflection plates, frequency of the deflection plate power, beam current, substrate distance, pressure in the nozzle, gas flow rate in the process chamber, separation of beam burns, duration of the bean burn, and/or duty cycle of the beam deflector output.

Method and apparatus for beam deflection in a gas cluster ion beam system

A detection circuit is provided for a power supply for an electrostatic chuck generating a trapezoidal waveform with approximately flat tops and minimal dead-time between phase reversals. The detection circuit includes an amplifying circuit which receives inputs from a secondary winding of a transformer of the power supply and produces an amplified buffered signal. A chucking detect circuit receives the signal from the amplifying circuit and is configured to produce a first signal indicative of a substrate on the electrostatic chuck and a second signal indicative of an electrostatic chuck without a substrate. A chucking quality circuit receives the signal from the amplifying circuit and produces a signal indicative of a quality of the chucking of the substrate. A movement detection circuit receives the signal from the amplifying circuit and produces a signal indicative of movement of the substrate on the electrostatic chuck.

Electrostatic chuck power supply

A power supply is provided for an electrostatic chuck. A signal generating circuit of the power supply is configured to generate a square wave signal. An amplifying circuit is electrically connected to the square wave circuit and configured to amplify the square wave signal. A transformer has a primary and a secondary winding. The primary winding is electrically connected to the amplifying circuit and the secondary winding is configured to be electrically connected to the electrostatic chuck. The secondary winding produces a signal for the electrostatic chuck. A voltage divider circuit is electrically connected to the secondary winding and to the amplifying circuit. The voltage divider circuit is configured to reduce the voltage of the signal for the electrostatic chuck and feed back the reduced voltage signal to the amplifying circuit. The signal from the secondary winding is a trapezoidal waveform with approximately flat tops and minimal dead-time between phase reversals.

A load circuit device having a self-biasing active load circuit, and a related high voltage power supply configured to bias an optical element in a charged particle beam processing system, such as a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) processing system. The high voltage power supply comprises a variable voltage supply having a load terminal at a load potential and a reference terminal at a reference potential, and a self-biasing active load circuit connected between the load terminal and the reference terminal, and configured to sustain a variable voltage drop between the load potential and the reference potential while maintaining a substantially constant current.

Self-biasing active load circuit and related power supply for use in a charged particle beam processing system

In an ion bean acceleration system, transient electrical arc suppression and ion beam accelerator biasing circuitry. Two-terminal circuitry, connectable in series, for suppressing arcs by automatically sensing arc conditions and switch from at least a first operating state providing a relatively low resistance electrical pathway for current between source and load terminals to at least a second, relatively high resistance electrical pathway. Selection of circuit component characteristics permits controlling the delay in returning from the second state to the first state after the arc has been suppressed.

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Manchester, MA, United States of America

Kenneth P Regan