Abstract: A cleanling apparatus for removing contaminants from the surface of a substrate includes two parts: one which produces an aerosol including frozen particles and directs the aerosol onto the surface of the substrate to remove contaminants from the surface by physical force, and another part in which a fluid including a gaseous reactant is directed onto the surface of the substrate while the surface is irradiated to cause a chemical reaction between the reactant and organic contaminants on the surface, to chemically removing the organic contaminants. In the method of cleaning the substrate, the physical and chemical cleaning processes are carried out in a separate manner from one another so that the frozen particles of the aerosol are not exposed to the effects of the light used in irradiating the surface of the substrate. Therefore, the effectiveness of the aerosol in cleaning the substrate is maximized.

Abstract: A photomask repair method including scanning an electron beam across a main surface of the photomask, thereby producing a pattern image of the photomask, identifying the position of a defective portion from the pattern image thus produced, and applying an electron beam to a region to be etched including a defective portion under an atmosphere of a gas capable of performing a chemical etching of a film material forming the photomask pattern, thereby removing a defect. In this method, the electron beam to be applied to the region to be etched is a shaped beam. The electron beam is set such that the side of the electron beam is applied in parallel to a borderline between a non-defective pattern and the defect.

Abstract: A system and method for determining precisely in-situ the endpoint of halogen-assisted charged particle beam milling of a hole or trench in the backside of the substrate of a flipchip packaged IC. The backside of the IC is mechanically thinned. Optionally, a coarse trench is then milled in the thinned backside of the IC using either laser chemical etching or halogen-assisted charged particle beam milling. A further small trench is milled using a halogen-assisted charged-particle beam (electron or ion beam). The endpoint for milling this small trench is determined precisely by monitoring the power supply leakage current of the IC induced by electron-hole pairs created by the milling process. A precise in-situ endpoint detection signal is generated by modulating the beam at a reference frequency and then amplifying that frequency component in the power supply leakage current with an amplifier, narrow-band amplifier or lock-in amplifier.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a magnetic structure, the method including: forming a first magnetic structure having a first side and a second side, and using a focused ion beam to etch only one of the first and second sides, to reduce a width of the magnetic structure. The first magnetic structure can be formed using a full-field lithographic technique such as optical lithography. The magnetic structure can include a rectangular portion with the first and second sides being opposite sides of the rectangular portion. The focused ion beam can comprise a gallium ion beam. Magnetic recording heads having a magnetic structure fabricated according to the method are also included.

Abstract: A semiconductor etching apparatus and a method for etching semiconductor devices using the apparatus. The semiconductor etching apparatus includes a chamber for accommodating a wafer, a radical source for supplying a radical into the chamber, a beam source for supplying ion beams or plasma into the chamber, a wafer stage for supporting and holding the wafer accommodated by the chamber, and a neutralizer for neutralizing charge within the chamber ionized by the ion beams, plasma or the radical. The method of etching semiconductor devices includes the steps of forming a reaction layer on the surface of a semiconductor wafer through radical absorption, and etching the surface of the semiconductor wafer by desorbing the reaction layer formed on the surface of the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: A layer-by-layer etching apparatus and an etching method using a neutral beam which enables to control etching depth to an atomic level by controlling the etching of each atom of a material layer to be etched under precise control of the supply of an etching gas and irradiation of the neutral beam and enables to minimize etching damage. In the layer-by-layer etching method, a substrate to be etched, on which a layer to be etched is exposed, is loaded on a stage in a reaction chamber. An etching gas is supplied into the reaction chamber to adsorb the etching gas on the surface of an exposed portion of the layer to be etched. Excessive etching gas remaining after being adsorbed is removed. A neutral beam is irradiated on the layer to be etched on which the etching gas is adsorbed. Etch by-products generated by the irradiation of the neutral beam is removed.

Abstract: Activated gaseous species generated adjacent a carbon contaminated surface affords in-situ cleaning. A device for removing carbon contamination from a surface of the substrate includes (a) a housing defining a vacuum chamber in which the substrate is located; (b) a source of gaseous species; and (c) a source of electrons that are emitted to activate the gaseous species into activated gaseous species. The source of electrons preferably includes (i) a filament made of a material that generates thermionic electron emissions; (ii) a source of energy that is connected to the filament; and (iii) an electrode to which the emitted electrons are attracted. The device is particularly suited for photolithography systems with optic surfaces, e.g., mirrors, that are otherwise inaccessible unless the system is dismantled.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of fabricating and repairing a mask without damage and an apparatus including a holder to mount a substrate; a stage to position the holder in a chamber; a pumping system to evacuate the chamber; an imaging system to locate an opaque defect in the substrate; a gas delivery system to dispense a reactant gas towards the defect; and an electron delivery system to direct electrons towards the opaque defect.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus comprises a laser oscillator for producing a laser beam to selectively remove part of a substrate to be processed, a scanning system for applying the laser beam to an arbitrary position of the substrate and incident means for applying the laser beam to the substrate substantially at right angle.