Abstract: A system and method for performing sputter deposition on a substrate. First, second, and third divergent ion current sources generate first, second and third divergent ion beams, respectively. The substrate faces the first ion current source. The first target faces the second ion current source, and the second target faces the third ion current source. The central axis of each ion current source is orthogonal to the central axes of the other two ion current sources.

Abstract: A sputtering chamber has a target that moves with an orbital motion relative to an ion beam. An X-Y assembly allows for target movement in both the horizontal and vertical directions. The X-Y assembly has a base plate, an intermediate plate, and a target mounting plate that attaches to the target. The plates are connected together by bearing blocks that slide along rails in the X and Y directions. A rotating shaft has gears that rotate a center shaft through the base and intermediate plates. The rotating center shaft has an arm on its end that attaches to the target mounting plate. The arm produces an orbital movement of the target. Rather than simply rotating the target around the center shaft, the center of the target orbits around the center of the center shaft. Ion-beam wear is spread across the target surface, extending target life and improving deposition uniformity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved ion source comprising a magnetron and cathode in a first housing and a cold cathode in a second housing. The second housing generally comprises a Penning cell to collimate an ion beam arising from the first housing. This arrangement provides an ion source capable of ejecting sputtered ions of the cold cathode magnetron discharge into a highly collimated, positive ion beam having low emittance angles. The invention also provides a cold cathode target for use in an ion source, and in particular, to an ion source having single or multiple targets of desired materials and/or dimensions to provide a rich source of boron ions in a manner allowing operation of the ion source free of producing significant toxic effects or corrosion. The invention also relates to a cold cathode target comprising a boron-containing material selected from the group consisting of a boron alloy, a boride, and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: The application of gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) technology in order to modify the surface of a surgical implant such as the components of an artificial hip joint, thereby substantially reducing wear debris and osteolysis complications. The approach of the surface modification comprises an atomic level surface smoothing utilizing GCIB to super smooth the femoral heads and/or the surfaces of the acetabular cups to reduce frictional wear at the interface of the bearing surfaces. A reduction in polyethylene debris and metal debris by GCIB smoothing on one or both bearing surfaces of a surgical implant reduces osteolysis, results in a substantial cost savings to the healthcare system, and reduces patient pain and suffering.

Abstract: Three technologies realize monocrystalline three-dimensional (3-D) integrated circuits: (1) silicon sputter epitaxy permitting fast growth at low temperature; (2) real-time pattern generation using a pixel-by-pixel programmable device to create a patterned beam of energetic radiation; and (3) flash diffusion focuses through a projector barrel the patterned beam on a silicon sample, causing localized dopant diffusion from a heavily doped region at the surface into the underlying region. Removing the heavily doped layer leaves a 2-D doping pattern. Creating additional 2-D patterns on top of it through process repetition produces a buried 3-D doping pattern. One configuration places projector barrel and sample in fixed positions inside the sputtering chamber and a ring of targets around the barrel facing the sample with targets of a given kind symmetrically positioned in the ring. Cobalt can be substituted for the doping layer and can be driven in creating silicide conductive patterns.

Abstract: A thin film deposition apparatus and method are disclosed in this invention. The method includes a step of providing a vacuum chamber for containing a thin-film particle source for generating thin-film particles to deposit a thin-film on the substrates. The method further includes a step of containing a substrate holder in the vacuum chamber for holding a plurality of substrates having a thin-film deposition surface facing the thin-film particle source. The method further includes a step of providing a rotational means for rotating the substrate holder to rotate each of the substrates exposed to the thin-film particles for depositing a thin film thereon. And, the method further includes a step of providing a lateral moving means for laterally moving and controlling a duration of exposure time across a radial direction for each of the substrates for controlling thickness uniformity of the thin-film deposited on each of the substrates.

Abstract: In accordance with one specific embodiment of the present invention, an ion-beam deposition apparatus uses a plurality of stationary sputter targets so located so as to provide a predetermined thickness distribution of the target material on a substrate. This distribution is obtained without mechanical motion of ion sources, sputter targets, or a shaper located between the sputter targets and deposition substrate.

Abstract: A linear microwave plasma source comprises a leaktight chamber (10) under negative pressure and a microwave injection guide (12) that ends in a 90° elbow (13) opening perpendicularly into the chamber, a leaktight microwave window (15) being placed between the microwave injection guide (12) and the 90° elbow (13) such that they cause ionization of the gas in a zone (35) of electron cyclotron resonance located a few centimeters inside the elbow (13) that is under negative pressure. First and second permanent magnets (13, 17) are disposed on either side of said window (15), said magnets (16, 17) being installed with alternating polarity. A sputtering target (21) is located inside the plasma stream and electrically insulated from the chamber and charged with a negative polarity, and means (27) for injecting gas for controlling the ionic species of the plasma stream are provided.

Abstract: A method of repairing opaque defects in lithography masks entails focused ion beam milling in at least two steps. The first step uses a large pixel spacing to form multiple holes in the defect material, with the milled area extending short of the defect material edge. The final step uses a pixel spacing sufficiently close to produce a smooth floor on the milled area, and extends to the edge of the defect. During the second step, an etch enhancing gas such as bromine is preferably used.

Abstract: In one embodiment of this invention, the apparatus for sputter deposition within an evacuated volume comprises a compact gridless ion source into which an ionizable gas is introduced and from which ions leave with directed energies at or near the sputtering threshold and a sputter target near that source, biased negative relative to the surrounding vacuum enclosure, and located within the beam of ions leaving that source. Particles sputtered from the target are deposited on a deposition substrate spaced from both the ion source and the sputter target. An energetic beam of electrons can be generated by the incident ions striking the negatively biased sputter target and the deposition substrate is located either within or outside of this beam, depending on whether the net effect of bombardment by energetic electrons is beneficial or detrimental to that particular deposition process.

Abstract: Three technologies are brought together to realize monocrystalline three-dimensional (3-D) integrated circuits. They are silicon sputter epitaxy, which permits fast growth at low temperatures, and can be switched instantaneously to a material-removal mode by a bias change; (2) real-time pattern generation, which uses a Digital Micromirror Device, or one of similar properties, to create a beam of energetic radiation that is patterned on a pixel-by-pixel basis; and (3) flash diffusion, which focuses the patterned beam on a silicon surface, causing localized heating, and localized dopant diffusion from a heavily doped region at the surface into the underlying region. By removing the heavily doped layer, one is left with a 2-D doping pattern, and by creating additional 2-D patterns on top of it through process repetition, one arrives at a buried 3-D doping pattern.

Abstract: The invention provides a sputtering system which consists of an ion beam and a target of a sputterable material. A distinguishing feature of the system of the invention is that the sputtering target forms a guide channel for an ion beam and sputtered particles, so that a portion of the ions collides with the walls of the target inside a closed volume of the target and forms neutral sputterable particles impinging the object. The other part of the ions goes directly to the object and participates in an ion-assisted overcoating. Thus, the special form of the target improves efficiency of sputtering, prevents scattering and the loss of the sputterable material. The system can be realized in various embodiments. One of the embodiments provides a multiple-cell system in which each cell has an individual ion-emitting slit formed by the end of a cathode rod of one cathode plate and the opening in the second cathode plate.

Abstract: An ion beam sputtering system having a chamber, an ion beam source, multiple targets, a shutter, and a substrate stage for securely holding a wafer substrate during the ion beam sputtered deposition process in the chamber. The substrate stage is made to tilt about its vertical axis such that the flux from the targets hit the wafer substrate at a non-normal angle resulting in improved physical, electrical and magnetic properties as well as the thickness uniformity of the thin films deposited on the substrate in the ion beam sputtering system.

Abstract: An ion beam sputtering target assembly has six sputter targets arranged in pairs on three paddles and disposed upon the circumference of a circular holder. The circular holder can be rotated about its axis in such a way as to bring any one of the target pairs to be exposed to the sputtering ion beam to deposit a film on substrate. The paddle is rotated to bring a desired target in the pair into position for sputtering. An alternative embodiment is provided with an enlarged region which allows one of the target paddles to be rotated about its axis while that target paddle is in an inactive, non-sputtering rotary position.

Abstract: A combined ion-source and sputtering magnetron apparatus of the invention comprises a vacuum working chamber that contains a sputtering magnetron, an object to be treated fixed inside the housing of the chamber, and an ion-beam source installed within the working chamber between the object and the sputtering magnetron. In a preferred embodiment, the ion source is a cold-cathode ion source with a closed loop ion-emitting slit and drift of electrons in crossed electric and magnetic fields. The ion source emits the ion beam in the radial inward or outward direction onto the surface of the magnetron target at an oblique angle to the target surface. The bombardment of the target surface with the ion beam generates a large amount of sputtered particles. In addition, the ion bombardment forms a large amount of secondary electrons which are accelerated in the direction away from the target and are held in the crossed electric and magnetic fields of the magnetron target.

Abstract: A system for coating a surface of a substrate with a material includes a vacuum chamber and a vacuum pump configured to maintain a vacuum in the vacuum chamber. One or more ion source(s) are configured to implant ions of the material into the surface of a substrate disposed within the vacuum chamber to form an implanted substrate layer. The ion source(s) then deposit ions of the material onto the implanted substrate layer to form a seed layer. The ion source(s) next implant ions of the material into the seed layer to form an intermix layer and finally deposit ions of the material on the intermix layer to form the coating over the substrate.

Abstract: A mask is placed over a center portion of a deposition source to limit angle of the flux from the source. A substrate or device with a vertical surface (referenced to a major surface of the substrate or device) is rotated past the deposition source to coat the vertical surface with material from the source. In a particular embodiment, the source is a gold sputtering target and a mirror is formed on a vertical surface of a MEMS structure having a depth of about 70-75 microns and a set-back of about 200-250 microns by sputtering about 1000 Angstroms of gold onto the vertical surface.

Abstract: An ion beam sputtering system having a chamber and a target, a substrate, and a movable flux regulator located between the target and the substrate in the chamber. The position of the movable flux regulator relative to the deposition substrate affects the thickness uniformity of thin films deposited on the substrate in the ion beam sputtering system.

Abstract: A topography simulation method using the Monte Carlo method is provided, which simulates the post-etching topography of a plasma-assisted etching process affected by different etching species such as the ion-assisted etching process. (a) A bulk- and/or sheath-plasma region is/are analyzed using a first random number, calculating a species energy of an incoming species. (b) A sort of the incoming species toward a minute surface region of a target material is selected using a second random number based on the species energy calculated in the step (a). (c) An absorption state of the incoming species with atoms of the target material on the minute surface region of the target material is selected using a third random number based on the species energy in the step (a) and the sort of the incoming species selected in the step (b).

Abstract: A technique for ion beam sputter deposition of optical coatings. The technique includes the following features (i) an assist chemical emitted towards the sputter target to oppose the tendency of film growth on the target; (ii) a discriminate baffle to capture ions or assist chemicals reflected from the target; (iii) a screen chemical to protect the coating area from the assist chemical; (iv) compartmentalized of the coating chamber to reduce crossing effects between the different chemicals (D.W.) (C.L.); (v) a compartmentalized assist ion beam to modify the coating and to reduce microstructure, defects and impurities in the coating (D.W.) (C.L.); and (vi) to combine the above features or multiply use one of the above features to further advantage or to increase throughput.