# US 10,020,200 B1 · Patterned atomic layer etching and deposition using miniature-column charged particle beam arrays

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- Number: US 10,020,200 B1
- Document ID: US10020200B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 14/966,165
- Filed: 2015-12-11
- Granted: 2018-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2015-01-23
- Applicants: Multibeam Corporation
- Inventors: Kevin M. Monahan; Theodore A. Prescop; Michael C. Smayling; David K. Lam
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10020200B1

## CPC

- H10P 50/242: {of Group IV materials}
- B81C 1/00373: {Selective deposition, e.g. printing or microcontact printing}
- C23C 14/48: Ion implantation
- C23C 16/047: {using irradiation by energy or particles}
- C23C 16/48: by irradiation, e.g. photolysis, radiolysis, particle radiation
- C23C 16/486: {using ion beam radiation}
- C23C 16/487: {using electron radiation}
- H01J 37/05: Electron or ion-optical arrangements for separating electrons or ions according to their energy {or mass}(particle separator tubes H01J49/00)
- H01J 37/06: Electron sources; Electron guns
- H01J 37/08: Ion sources; Ion guns
- H01J 37/228: {whereby illumination or light collection take place in the same area of the discharge}
- H01J 37/244: Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor
- H01J 37/30: Electron-beam or ion-beam tubes for localised treatment of objects
- H01J 37/304: Controlling tubes by information coming from the objects {or from the beam}, e.g. correction signals
- H01J 37/305: for casting, melting, evaporating, or etching
- H01J 37/3053: {for evaporating or etching}
- H01J 37/3056: {for microworking, e. g. etching of gratings or trimming of electrical components}
- H01J 37/3172: {Maskless patterned ion implantation}
- H01J 37/3174: {Particle-beam lithography, e.g. electron beam lithography}
- H01J 37/3177: {Multi-beam, e.g. fly's eye, comb probe}
- H01J 37/3178: {for applying thin layers on objects}
- H10P 14/24: using chemical vapour deposition [CVD]
- H10P 14/6339: {deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE or pulsed CVD}
- H10P 34/00: Irradiation with electromagnetic or particle radiation of wafers, substrates or parts of devices
- H10P 50/691: {for Group IV materials or Group III-V materials}
- H10P 50/694: {characterised by their behaviour during the process, e.g. soluble masks or redeposited masks}
- H10P 74/203: {Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects}
- H10P 74/23: {characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes}
- H10P 74/238: {comprising acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection or in-situ thickness measurement}
- B81C 2201/0143: Focussed beam, i.e. laser, ion or e-beam
- B81C 2201/0188: Selective deposition techniques not provided for in B81C2201/0184 - B81C2201/0187
- H01J 2237/004: Charge control of objects or beams
- H01J 2237/0635: Multiple source, e.g. comb or array
- H01J 2237/1501: Beam alignment means or procedures
- H01J 2237/24592: Inspection and quality control of devices
- H01J 2237/30466: Detecting endpoint of process
- H01J 2237/30472: Controlling the beam
- H01J 2237/31708: unpatterned
- H01J 2237/31732: Depositing thin layers on selected microareas
- H01J 2237/31735: Direct-write microstructures
- H01J 2237/31737: using ions
- H01J 2237/3174: Etching microareas
- H01J 2237/31749: Focused ion beam
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- B81C: PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS (making microcapsules or microballoons B01J13/02; processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/01)
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

Methods and systems for direct atomic layer etching and deposition on or in a substrate using charged particle beams. Electrostatically-deflected charged particle beam columns can be targeted in direct dependence on the design layout database to perform atomic layer etch and atomic layer deposition, expressing pattern with selected 3D-structure. Reducing the number of process steps in patterned atomic layer etch and deposition reduces manufacturing cycle time and increases yield by lowering the probability of defect introduction. Local gas and photon injectors and detectors are local to corresponding columns, and support superior, highly-configurable process execution and control.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for targeted atomic layer etching of material from a substrate using multiple charged particle beam columns, individual columns projecting individual charged particle beams at the substrate, comprising the actions of:
a) injecting at least one gas, using multiple local gas injectors, onto multiple different frames corresponding to multiple different ones of the beams, said gas selected to be adsorbed by and lower a dissociation energy of an exterior layer of the substrate surface; and
b) scanning said frames using said corresponding beams, selected locations in said frames being targeted by said beams in dependence on the design layout database, wherein a beam energy of said corresponding beams is selected to increase the rate of dissociation from the substrate body only of said selected locations of said layer that adsorbed said gas;
wherein steps a) and b) are performed serially;
wherein each of said frames is a portion of the substrate to which a corresponding one of the beams can be deflected at a particular time, such that each of the beams corresponds to a single frame; and
wherein said injecting and said scanning are performed differently, independently and simultaneously by different ones of said columns and said local gas injectors, such that parameters controlling said injecting and said scanning by ones of said columns and said local as injectors are not dependent on parameters controlling said injecting and said scanning by others of said columns and said local gas injectors.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein steps a) and b) are iteratively repeated to thereby etch said material at said targeted locations to a selected number of layers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein different numbers of said iterations are performed for different ones of said targeted locations.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising collecting photons emitted or reflected from said frames using local photon detectors; analyzing said collected photons; and at least one of:
determining endpoints for said etching in at least partial dependence on said analyzing, wherein said scanning and/or said injecting are performed in at least partial dependence on said determining; and
automatically modifying parameters controlling said scanning and/or said injecting and/or said determining in at least partial dependence on said analyzing.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said gas is selected so that said adsorption does not etch said layer and said adsorption comprises at least one of dissociative adsorption, ligand exchange and associative chemisorption.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said corresponding beams are targeted in direct dependence on the design layout database.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a beam scanning cycle endpoint using a local gas detector to detect said surface material dissociated in step b).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising injecting photons onto multiple ones of said frames using local photon injectors, said photons having a wavelength selected to, within corresponding ones of said frames, do at least one of:
raising the temperature of the substrate surface material;
exciting electrons of said substrate surface material; and
reflecting photons off said corresponding frame to be collected by a local photon detector.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising injecting photons onto multiple ones of said frames using local photon injectors, said photons having a wavelength selected to, within corresponding ones of said frames, cause desorption of one or more of adsorbed: said gas, byproducts of said adsorption or said dissociation, impurities in said gas, gasses injected by gas injectors local to non-corresponding columns, and ambient gasses in the vacuum chamber.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said beams are electrostatically deflected by said columns.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said targeted locations are selected to comprise one or more Hadamard targets configured to be used as one or more of: anti-tamper devices, security codes, watermarks, anti-counterfeiting codes, identification data, or addressing data.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a particular one of said local gas injectors injects a gas having a different chemical composition than a gas injected by another of said local gas injectors, said particular local gas injector being local to a different one of said columns than said another local as injector.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of the columns writing or imaging the substrate and not performing said steps a) and b), while others of the columns perform said steps a) and b).

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein none of a photomask, resist layer or hard mask are used to perform said etching or to pattern substrate portions etched by said etching.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said substrate surface comprises substrate material or a material deposited on the substrate.