Veeco Instruments Inc.

Kurt E Williams

Boris L Druz

Alan V Hayes

Viktor Kanarov

Rustam Yevtukhov

Ira Reiss

Hari S Hegde

Roger P Fremgen

Adrian Celaru

Jhon F Londono

Renga Rajan

Hariharakeshara Hegde

Danielle S Hines

Carlos Fernando De Mello Borges

A charged particle source utilizes a novel plasma processing chamber, RF coil and ion optics, to achieve high uniformity. The plasma processing chamber has a re-entrant vessel which is movable, and which includes extensions of adjustable shape or position, to make more uniform the plasma contained within the chamber. One or more magnets, which may be static or moving, may be included within the re-entrant vessel. The ion optics include a grid with a number of apertures, and tuning features each surrounding an aperture. These tuning features either reduce the diameter of the associated aperture, or increase the length of that aperture, to create more uniform beamlets emerging from the grid. The RF coil includes a flux concentrator positioned adjacent to the winding in at least one angular region thereof to tune the magnetic field produced thereby.

Charged particle source and operation thereof

A multi-step etching process for a lead overlay structure such as a thin-film magnetic head structure using secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) whereby high selectivity of a lead material or other high conductivity metal layer is realized versus that of a metallic mask material and stopping layer. The first step includes patterning the mask layer using IBE or RIE. Advantageously, a photoresist layer is present over a portion of the mask layer and is left in place to be removed in a subsequent step. The second step includes etching the high conductivity metal layer using CAIBE or RIBE with an inert/reactive gas mixture and using SIMS to detect when the stopping layer is reached. The gas mixture comprises an inert gas and a reactive gas that is either oxygen, nitrogen, or a combination of oxygen and nitrogen, whereby the ionized gas mixture contains ions that increase the sensitivity of the SIMS yield of the stopping layer such that the end point of the high conductivity metal layer is detected and etching can then be stopped at the appropriate time. The chemistry of the second etching step is effective to also remove the photoresist at a high etch rate. The third step includes etching the stopping layer with IBE using an inert gas, advantageously with a high angle of about 40-70&#xb0;. The third step may also be effective to etch debris redeposited on the sidewalls of the structure, and to remove all or a portion of the remaining mask layer.

High selectivity etching of a lead overlay structure

A method is provided for a repetitive deposition and etch of a substrate using a carbon containing ion beam in a gridded ion source. The method includes the actual ion beam processing step combined with the thermal and chemical conditioning of the ion source and a special cleaning step(s). The special cleaning step(s) effect robust removal of the precipitates accumulated in the operating source due to the decomposition of carbon containing gases such as hydrocarbons and halocarbons Precipitate removal is achieved by employing ions and radicals formed in an inert gas plasma or a mixture of inert gas and oxygen to reactively etch or bombard the precipitates.

Method for repetitive ion beam processing with a carbon containing ion beam

A reactive ion beam etching method which employs an oxidizing agent in a plasma contained in an ion source to control carbonaceous deposit (e.g., polymer) formation within the ion source and on the substrate. During operation of an ion source, after operating the ion source with a plasma having a carbonaceous deposit forming species, a plasma containing an oxidizing agent (species) is generated within the ion source. Preferably, within the ion source a plasma is maintained essentially continuously between the time that the carbonaceous deposit forming species is present and the time that the oxidizing agent is present. A reactive ion beam extracted from an ion source containing a plasma having an oxidizing species may be impinged onto a sample substrate to remove (i.e., etch) any carbonaceous material deposits (e.g., polymers) formed on the sample, such as may be formed from previous reactive ion beam etching (RIBE) processing steps using an ion beam having species which may form carbonaceous (e.g., polymer) deposits on the sample substrate structure. Preferably, a reactive ion beam containing an oxidizing species is incident upon the sample at an angle which enhances the selectivity of the carbonaceous deposit (e.g., polymer) etching relative to other materials upon which the ion beam impinges. A thin film magnetic head is fabricated according to a pole trimming process which employs RIBE with an oxidizing species to remove any carbonaceous material (e.g., polymer) deposits formed during a previous fluorocarbon based RIBE step.

Reactive ion beam etching method and a thin film head fabricated using the method

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Seaford, NY, United States of America

Kurt E Williams