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US 2010/0136255 A1Published application
Ice layers in charged particle systems and methods
AssigneeCarl Zeiss SMT GmbH
InventorsJohn A. Notte, IV, Lawrence Scipioni, Billy W. Ward, William B. Thompson
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Abstract
Charged particle sources, systems and methods are disclosed.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- exposing a sample comprising a substrate and a layer of ice disposed on the substrate to a charged particle beam, wherein the charged particle beam is configured to convert a portion of the ice layer from a first form to a second form different from the first crystalline form,
- wherein:
- the first and second forms are different crystalline forms;
- the first form is a crystalline form and the second form is an amorphous form;
- the first form is an amorphous form and the second form is a crystalline form;
- or
- in the first form at least some crystal grains of the ice layer have a first orientation and in the second form the at least some crystal grains have a second orientation different from the first orientation.
4 more elements
A method, comprising:
- disposing a layer of ice on a surface of a sample;
- exposing the layer of ice to a charged particle beam, wherein the charged particle beam is configured to remove material from at least some portions of the ice layer to form a patterned ice layer;
- depositing one or more additional layers on the patterned ice layer;
- and
- removing the ice layer to produce a pattern of the one or more additional layers disposed on the sample.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- exposing a sample surface to a charged particle beam in the presence of water vapor, wherein the charged particle beam is configured to deposit a layer of ice on the sample surface in the region of the charged particle beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.