Abstract: An apparatus for low-damage, anisotropic etching of substrates having the substrate mounted upon a mechanical support located within an ac or dc plasma reactor. The mechanical support is independent of the plasma reactor generating apparatus and capable of being electrically biased. The substrate is subjected to a plasma of low-energy electrons and a species reactive with the substrate. An additional structure capable of being electrically biased can be placed within the plasma to control further the extraction or retardation of particles from the plasma.

Abstract: An apparatus for low-damage, anisotropic etching of substrates having the substrate mounted upon a mechanical support located within an ac or dc plasma reactor. The mechanical support is independent of the plasma reactor generating apparatus and capable of being electrically biased. The substrate is subjected to plasma of low-energy electrons and a species reactive with the substrate. An additional structure capable of being electrically biased can be placed within the plasma to control further the extraction or retardation of particles from the plasma.

Abstract: An apparatus for low-damage, anisotropic etching of substrates having the substrate mounted upon a mechanical support located within an ac or dc plasma reactor. The mechanical support is independent of the plasma reactor generating apparatus and capable of being electrically biased. The substrate is subjected to a plasma of low-energy electrons and a species reactive with the substrate. An additional structure capable of being electrically biased can be placed within the plasma to control further the extraction or retardation of particles from the plasma.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an array of nanoclusters and a substrate with an ordered array of nanoclusters. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, nanoclusters may be fabricated by depositing adatoms upon a surface containing an array of etched nanoscale wells, wherein the etched nanoscale wells are produced by etching a surface patterned by a mask containing a regular array of nanoscale pores. More preferably, nanoclusters may be fabricated by depositing adatoms upon a surface containing an array of etched nanoscale wells; wherein, the etched nanoscale wells are produced by low damage etching of a surface patterned by a crystalline mask of biological origin containing a regular array of nanoscale pores. A still further embodiment of the invention is a substrate including an ordered array of nanoclusters.

Abstract: A method of low-damage, anisotropic etching of substrates including mounting the substrate upon a mechanical support located within an ac or dc plasma reactor. The mechanical support is independent of the plasma reactor generating apparatus and capable of being electrically biased. The substrate is subjected to a plasma of low-energy electrons and a species reactive with the substrate. An additional structure capable of being electrically biased can be placed within the plasma to control further the extraction or retardation of particles from the plasma.

Abstract: A method of low-damage, anisotropic etching of substrates including mounting the substrate upon a mechanical support located within an ac or dc plasma reactor. The mechanical support is independent of the plasma reactor generating apparatus and capable of being electrically biased. The substrate is subjected to a plasma of low-energy electrons and a species reactive with the substrate. An additional structure capable of being electrically biased can be placed within the plasma to control further the extraction or retardation of particles from the plasma.

Abstract: A method of low-damage, anisotropic etching and cleaning of substrates including mounting the substrate upon a mechanical support located within the positive column of a plasma discharge generated by either an ac or dc plasma reactor. The mechanical support is independent of the plasma reactor generating apparatus and capable of being electrically biased. The substrate is subjected to the positive column, or electrically neutral portion, of a plasma of low-energy electrons and a species reactive with the substrate. An additional structure capable of being electrically biased can be placed within the plasma to control further the extraction or retardation of particles from the plasma.

Abstract: A method-of low-damage, anisotropic etching of substrates including mounting the substrate upon the anode in a DC plasma reactor and subjecting the substrate to a plasma of low-energy electrons and a species reactive with the substrate. An apparatus for conducting low-damage, anisotropic etching including a DC plasma reactor, a permeable wall hollow cold cathode, an anode, and means for mounting the substrate upon the anode.

Abstract: The present invention is a system and method for reducing the voltage necessary to produce a glow discharge in a gas. This is done by fabricating the cathode in a gas discharge device out of a conductive material that is permeable to the subject gas rather than out of a solid material, as in the prior art. Fabricating the cathode with a permeable material rather than a solid material increases the surface area of the cathode and provides the gas with greater access to the cathode's surface. Increasing the surface area of the cathode increases the total discharge current which can be extracted from the cathode without increasing the extraction voltage. This allows the gas discharge device to be operated at a lower voltage than is possible using a cathode fabricated of a solid material.

Abstract: A method of low-damage, anisotropic etching of substrates including mounting the substrate upon the anode in a DC plasma reactor and subjecting the substrate to a plasma of low-energy electrons and a species reactive with the substrate. An apparatus for conducting low-damage, anisotropic etching including a DC plasma reactor, a permeable wall hollow cold cathode, an anode, and means for mounting the substrate upon the anode.

Abstract: A particle beam etching system and method are disclosed in which ion and substantially ion-free chemical radical beams are generated separately and directed onto the same portion of a semiconductor wafer to be etched, preferably perpendicular to the wafer. The beam diameters are substantially smaller than the etching area, and the wafer is moved in an x,y plane to expose the entire etching area to the beams. The redical beam is preferably supersonic, with a flux in the approximate range of 10.sup.19 -10.sup.21 particles per steradian per second, while the ion beam preferably has a density of approximately 10.sup.14 ions per cm.sup.2 per second. The progress of the etching and the location of etching end points are continuously monitored and used to control the etching rate and wafer movement, yielding etching that is both anisotropic and selective, with an accurate and uniform etch depth.