Tel Epion Corporation

Tel Manufacturing and Engineering of America, Inc.

Epion Corporation

Matthew C Gwinn

Martin D Tabat

Avrum Freytsis

Michael A Graf

Robert K Becker

Kenneth P Regan

Allen J Leith

Jerry Negrotti

John J Hautala

Kazuya Dobashi

Jerald P Dykstra

Michael E Mack

Masaru Nishino

Kenichi Oyama

Noriaki Okabe

Richard P Torti

Hiromitsu Kambara

Reo Kosaka

Luis Fernandez

Sakurako Natori

Paul Consoli

Jay R Wallace

Noel Russell

Isao Yamada

James A Greer

David Richard Swenson

Michael Gruenhagen

Bruce K Libby

Kevin Siefering

James G Bachand

Lester G Crawford

Eric R Harrington

Martin Tabat

A method of scanning a substrate includes immobilizing a substrate on a substrate holder within a processing chamber and performing a pass of a parallel raster pattern by synchronously driving a first rotary drive and a second rotary drive to move the substrate relative to a processing apparatus focused on a localized spot on the substrate, the first rotary drive being coupled to a proximal end of a pendulum arm and the second rotary drive being mounted at a distal end of the pendulum arm and to the substrate holder. Driving the first rotary drive during the pass includes moving the pendulum arm in a first arc motion for a first portion of the pass while the localized spot is on the substrate, and then moving the pendulum arm in an opposite second arc motion for a second portion of the pass while the localized spot is on the substrate.

Substrate scanning apparatus with pendulum and rotatable substrate holder

A method of scanning a wafer includes placing the wafer over a substrate holder inside a processing chamber, where the wafer is placed at a first twist angle relative to a reference axis of a rotatable feedthrough of the processing chamber. The method further includes performing a first pass scan by exposing the wafer to an ion beam while driving two rotary drives disposed in a scanning chamber synchronously to generate a planar motion of the wafer from a rotational motion of the two rotary drives, where the wafer is oriented continuously at the first twist angle when performing the first pass scan.

Wafer scanning apparatus and method for focused beam processing

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

A method of processing a substrate includes loading the substrate on a substrate holder. The substrate includes a major surface and a feature disposed over the major surface. The feature has a first width along an etch direction. The method includes exposing portions of the major surface and changing the first width of the feature to a second width along the etch direction by etching a first portion of the sidewalls of the feature with a gas cluster ion beam oriented along a beam direction.

Pattern enhancement using a gas cluster ion beam

A scanning system includes a scanning chamber; a first rotary drive disposed in the scanning chamber and configured to rotate around a first axis; a second rotary drive disposed in the scanning chamber and configured to rotate around the first axis synchronously with the first rotary drive; and a bar-and-hinge system disposed in the scanning chamber and mechanically coupled to a substrate holder, the hinge system configured to translate a rotary motion of the first rotary drive and the second rotary drive to a planar motion of the substrate holder.

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

A beam processing system and method of operating are described. In particular, the beam processing system includes a beam source having a nozzle assembly that is configured to introduce a primary gas through the nozzle assembly to a vacuum vessel in order to produce a gaseous beam, such as a gas cluster beam, and optionally, an ionizer positioned downstream from the nozzle assembly, and configured to ionize the gaseous beam to produce an ionized gaseous beam. The beam processing system further includes a process chamber within which a substrate is positioned for treatment by the gaseous beam, and a secondary gas source, wherein the secondary gas source includes a secondary gas supply system that delivers a secondary gas, and a secondary gas controller that operatively controls the flow of the secondary gas injected into the beam processing system downstream of the nozzle assembly.

Process gas enhancement for beam treatment of a substrate

A nozzle assembly used for performing gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) etch processing of various materials is described. In particular, the nozzle assembly includes two or more conical nozzles that are aligned such that they are both used to generate the same GCIB. The first conical nozzle may include the throat that initially forms the GCIB and the second nozzle may form a larger conical cavity that may be appended to the first conical nozzle. A transition region may be disposed between the two conical nozzles that may substantially cylindrical and slightly larger than the largest diameter of the first conical nozzle.

GCIB nozzle assembly

A method and system for performing gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) etch processing of various materials is described. In particular, the GCIB etch processing includes using one or more molecular beams to optimize pressure at localized regions of the ion beam.

Molecular beam enhanced GCIB treatment

Disclosed are an apparatus, system, and method for scanning a substrate or other workpiece through a gas-cluster ion beam (GCIB), or any other type of ion beam. The workpiece scanning apparatus is configured to receive and hold a substrate for irradiation by the GCIB and to scan it through the GCIB in two directions using two movements: a reciprocating fast-scan movement, and a slow-scan movement. The slow-scan movement is actuated using a servo motor and a belt drive system, the belt drive system being configured to reduce the failure rate of the workpiece scanning apparatus. The apparatus further includes shields and other features for reducing process contamination resulting from scattering of the GCIB from the scanning apparatus.

Low contamination scanner for GCIB system

Disclosed is a multi-nozzle and skimmer assembly for introducing a process gas mixture, or multiple process gases mixtures, in a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) system, and associated methods of operation to grow, modify, deposit, or dope a layer upon a substrate. The multiple nozzle and skimmer assembly includes at least two nozzles arranged in mutual close proximity to at least partially coalesce the gas cluster beams emitted therefrom into a single gas cluster beam and/or angled to converge each beam toward a single intersecting point to form a set of intersecting gas cluster beams, and to direct the single and/or intersecting gas cluster beam into a gas skimmer.

Multiple nozzle gas cluster ion beam system

Disclosed are an apparatus, system, and method for scanning a substrate or other workpiece through a gas-cluster ion beam (GCIB), or any other type of ion beam. The workpiece scanning apparatus is configured to receive and hold a substrate for irradiation by the GCIB and to scan it through the GCIB in two directions using two movements: a reciprocating fast-scan movement, and a slow-scan movement. The slow-scan movement is actuated using a servo motor and a belt drive system, the belt drive system being configured to reduce the failure rate of the workpiece scanning apparatus.

Scanner for GCIB system

Disclosed are methods of operation to grow, modify, deposit, or dope a layer upon a substrate using a multi-nozzle and skimmer assembly for introducing a process gas mixture, or multiple process gases mixtures, in a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) system. Also disclosed is a method of forming a shallow trench isolation (STI) structure on a substrate, for example, an SiOSTI structure, using a multiple nozzle system with two separate gas supplies, for example providing a silicon-containing gas and an oxygen-containing gas.

Growing community of inventors

Winchendon, MA, United States of America

Matthew C Gwinn