Abstract: A device and a method for etching a substrate, in particular a silicon body, by using an inductively coupled plasma. A high-frequency electromagnetic alternating field is generated using an ICP source, and an inductively coupled plasma composed of reactive particles is generated by the action of a high-frequency electromagnetic alternating field on a reactive gas in a reactor. In addition, a static or time-variable magnetic field is generated between the substrate and the ICP source, for which purpose at least two magnetic field coils arranged one above the other are provided. The direction of the resulting magnetic field is also approximately parallel to the direction defined by the tie line connecting the substrate and the inductively coupled plasma.

Abstract: A shaper for an ion beam gun has a plate with a non-symmetrical profile including notches and tabs. The shaper is mounted to the surface of an ion beam grid having an array of holes. The shaper is oriented radially on the grid and covers some of the holes in the grid. The grid is mounted to an ion beam gun above a specimen that is rotated beneath the ion beam gun. The ion beam is filtered into smaller ion beamlets by the grid. The ion beamlets permeate the holes in the grid that are not covered by the shaper. The ion beamlets reach the specimen to etch it more uniformly than a grid that does not have a shaper. The shaper may be further optimized for a particular grid via a trial-and-error process to even further refine the uniformity of etching depth.

Abstract: A milling apparatus is provided in which temperature rise of a treatment-object in milling treatment, especially of the substrate thereof, is prevented. In the apparatus, ionization mechanism 2 comprises casing 20d having an opening at the center portion of the face thereof opposing to substrate 5 held by substrate holder 6; a filament is placed at the position where the straight line drawn from the filament to substrate 5 is intercepted by casing 20d; and electromagnets 31, 32 are provided around ionization mechanism 2 for generating a magnetic field to produce magnetic lines extending through opening 20j to substrate 5.

Abstract: A method for improving the edge-to-center photoresist ash rate uniformity in lower temperature (typically, but not limited to <100° C.) processing of integrated circuits and micro-electro-mechanical devices. A varying gap distance 32 from the edge-to-center of the upper and lower grid plates, 30 and 31, of a plasma ashing machine is provided to allow additional flow of plasma gases into the normally semi-stagnated area near the center of the wafer being processed. This improvement overcomes the problem of slower photoresist removal in the center of the wafer. Three configurations of the invention is described, including both stepwise and continuous variation of the grid plate gap spacing and optionally, the variation of the size of grid plate holes in a parallel grid plate assembly.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for correcting phase shift defects in a photomask is provided by scanning the photomask for the defect and determining locations of at least one defect. Following the determination of the location of a defect, the defect is three-dimensionally analyzed producing three-dimensional results. Utilizing the three-dimensional results, a focus ion beam (FIB) is directed onto the defect to eliminate the defect. The FIB is controlled by an etch map which is generated based on the three-dimensional results. To provide further precision to the repairing of the photomask, test patterns of the FIB are generated and three-dimensionally analyzed. The three-dimensional test pattern results are further utilized in generating the etch map to provide greater control to the FIB.

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 shaper for an ion beam gun is a thin, flat plate having a generally elongated, non-symmetrical profile with notches and tabs. The shaper is mounted flat to the surface of an ion beam grid having an array of holes. The shaper is oriented radially on the grid from its center to a perimeter of the grid and covers some of the holes in the grid. The grid is mounted to an ion beam gun above a specimen that is rotated beneath the ion beam gun. The large ion beam is filtered into smaller ion beamlets by the grid. The ion beamlets permeate the holes in the grid that are not covered by the shaper. The ion beamlets reach the specimen to etch it more uniformly than a grid that does not have a shaper. This phenomena is due to blockage of the higher ion beam density along the radial direction. The ion beamlets that ultimately arrive at the specimen are themselves more uniform and can produce the more uniform pattern on the specimen.

Abstract: A damage-free apparatus for etching the large area by using a neutral beam which can perform an etching process without causing electrical and physical damages by the use of the neutral beam is provided. The damage-free etching apparatus includes: an ion source for extracting and accelerating an ion beam having a predetermined polarity; a grid positioned at the rear of the ion source and having a plurality of grid holes through which the ion beam passes; a reflector closely attached to the grid and having a plurality of reflector holes corresponding to the grid holes in the grid, the reflector for reflecting the ion beam passed through the grid holes in the reflector holes and neutralizing the ion beam into a neutral beam; and a stage for placing a substrate to be etched in a path of the neutral beam.

Abstract: Particle beam systems and methods for interacting with a workpiece according to this invention include a work stage assembly and a first particle beam source. The work stage assembly is adapted a) for supporting a workpiece, b) for translating along a first axis, c) for translating along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and d) for rotating about a third axis perpendicular to both the first axis and the second axis. The work stage assembly has a work stage axis substantially parallel to the third axis. The first particle beam source for interacting with the workpiece is supported by the work stage assembly. The first particle beam source has a first particle beam axis. In one embodiment, the first particle beam source is oriented so that the first particle beam axis forms an angle with the third axis.

Abstract: Particle beam systems and methods for interacting with a workpiece according to this invention include a work stage assembly and a first particle beam source. The work stage assembly is adapted a) for supporting a workpiece, b) for translating along a first axis, c) for translating along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and d) for rotating about a third axis perpendicular to both the first axis and the second axis. The work stage assembly has a work stage axis substantially parallel to the third axis. The first particle beam source for interacting with the workpiece is supported by the work stage assembly. The first particle beam source has a first particle beam axis. In one embodiment, the first particle beam source is oriented so that the first particle beam axis forms an angle with the third axis.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a surface-alloyed cylindrical, partly cylindrical or hollow cylindrical structural member where in the zone of incidence of the energy beam there is formed a locally bounded melting bath with a heating and melting front, a solution zone and a solidification front. At the side of the energy beam the hard material powder is deposited via a conveyor device in the direction of gravity and is supplied co-ordinated with the feed movement of the workpiece in a width which corresponds to the width of the linear focus and a layer height of 0.3-3 mm is thereby produced. The hard-material powder supplied to the workpiece surface in the heating front of the melting bath is heated by an energy beam at a wavelength of 780-940 nm and in contact with the liquefied matrix alloy the powder is immediately dissolved in the melting bath.

Abstract: A secondary ion detector 130 senses defects on a photomask and outputs image information. The CPU 140 then displays this image information at a monitor 150. An operator then selects a pattern corresponding to a displayed defect from defect patterns recorded in a memory 120 using an input unit 160, designates a correction region, and designates coordinates for deciding a boundary line for a normal region and a defect. The CPU 140 then automatically determines the defect region using this inputted information and sends the determination results to the focussed ion beam apparatus 110. The focussed ion beam apparatus 110 then corrects the photomask by performing etching or deposition processing on the region indicated by the determination results.

Abstract: A frequency control apparatus including a shielding board that is provided with a window for exposing some or all of a plurality of electrodes disposed on a piezoelectric substrate, and a shutter for opening and closing the window. An aperture pattern board is provided between the shielding board and a piezoelectric resonator. On the aperture pattern board, combinations of apertures are provided which correspond to the A electrodes exposed through the window on the shielding board at one time. After measuring the frequencies for respective elements and measuring the variations from the target frequency, the suitable pattern of apertures is selected from the aperture pattern board according to the amount of variations, and then the frequency control is carried out only on the elements selected through the apertures.

Abstract: Vacuum treatment installation with a vacuum treatment chamber containing a plasma discharge configuration as well as a gas supply configuration. The plasma discharge configuration has at least two plasma beam discharge configurations with substantially parallel discharge axes and a deposition configuration is positioned along a surface which extends at predetermined distances from the beam axes and along a substantial section of the longitudinal extent of the discharge beam.

Abstract: An ion flow forming method and apparatus for attracting ions from a plasma generated in a plasma generation chamber and forming a flow of the ions are disclosed. This ion flow forming apparatus includes the plasma generation chamber having a plasma diffusion outlet port, a processing chamber accommodating a target object, for example, two electrodes arranged between the plasma generation chamber and the target object in the processing chamber, and a potential control unit. This potential control unit controls voltages to be applied to the plasma generation chamber, the two electrodes, and the processing chamber, so that the step of diffusing the plasma generated in the plasma generation chamber in a space between the two electrodes, the ion attraction step of repelling electrons in the diffused plasma toward the plasma generation chamber and attracting the ions in the plasma in an opposite direction, and the ion flow formation step of directing the ions toward the target object are sequentially performed.

Abstract: System for frequency adjustment of piezoelectric resonators by ion etching in vacuum, based on arranging the resonators in rows and columns on a tray that can be moved to simultaneously expose two rows of resonators to the two straight-track portions of an ion gun having a race-track-shaped beam pattern whose straight tracks are spaced at an integer multiple of the inter-row spacing d. As the tray is moved in steps of d, two rows can be etched simultaneously, and each row can be sequentially exposed to a “pre-etch” and “final-etch” stage, with time between the two stages for the resonators to cool down after the “pre-etch” stage.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for etching a semiconductor device which can perform an etching process without causing electrical and physical damages using a neutral beam generated by a simple apparatus. In the method, ions of an ion beam having a predetermined polarity are extracted from an ion source and accelerated. An accelerated ion beam is reflected by a reflector and neutralized. A substrate to be etched positioned in the path of the neutral beam in order to etch a special material layer on the substrate with the neutral beam. The gradient of the reflector is adjusted to control an angle of incidence of the ion beam incident on the reflector, and a voltage is applied to the reflector to control the path of an incident ion beam.