Method and apparatus for directing a neutral beam

An apparatus for controlling a direction of a Neutral Beam derived from a gas-cluster-ion-beam having an axis along an initial beam path formed in a gas-cluster-ion source that has an exit aperture encircling the initial beam path, the apparatus comprising:

• a. an accelerating electrode outside the gas-cluster-ion source spaced from the source exit aperture, said accelerating electrode having a single, circular aperture encircling a portion of the initial beam path;
• a first movable structure supporting the accelerating electrode and constructed and arranged to tilt the accelerating electrode and the aperture at a first tilt angle less than 90 degrees with respect to the axis of the initial beam path of the gas-cluster ion-beam and about a first tilt axis, so that the electrode is tiltable forward along the initial beam path;
• a second movable structure supporting the accelerating electrode and constructed and arranged to tilt the accelerating electrode and the aperture at a second tilt angle with respect to the axis of the initial beam path of the gas-cluster ion-beam and about a second tilt axis;
• still further wherein the accelerating electrode is electrically biased with respect to the ion source to accelerate the gas-cluster ion-beam in a region between the gas-cluster-ion-beam source exit aperture and the accelerating electrode aperture;
• and
• even further wherein, the first and second tilt angles axes are substantially distinct from each other and non-parallel to each other and to the initial beam path axis so that tilting about both said first and second axes and the electrical bias of the accelerating electrode results in a compound deflection of the gas-cluster ion-beam away from the axis of the initial beam path along a deflected beam path in a two-dimensional cross-section range of deflection;
• b. a drift space for the deflected gas-cluster ion-beam, wherein dissociation of gas-cluster ions in the accelerated gas-cluster ion-beam occurs, producing a combination comprising accelerated gas cluster ions and accelerated neutral particles;
• and
• c. means for separating ions from neutral particles to remove gas-cluster-ions from the deflected beam path, so that the accelerated neutral particles follow the deflected beam path as a Neutral Beam for workpiece processing, and
• d. the apparatus being constructed and arranged so that as a whole, it is effective for managing variations of neutral beams impact on the surface of a target substrate without mechanical movement of the target.