Fast atom beam source
AssigneeEbara Corporation
InventorTakao Kato
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fast atom beam source which can efficiently provide a fast atom beam having a diameter less than 1 .mu.m. The fast atom beam source has an ion source for ionizing a liquid metal to generate metal ions, a control electrode system for controlling the flux of metal ions, and a neutralizing chamber in which the ion beam is neutralized to generate a fast atom beam. The neutralizing chamber is disposed in a path of the ion flux. A neutralizing gas supply supplies a neutralizing gas into the neutralizing chamber, the neutralizing gas containing a metal element.
Claims38
A fast atom beam source for generating an electrically neutral fast atom beam comprising:
- a metal ion beam generating means for ionizing a liquid metal and generating a metal ion beam having a diameter less than 1 .mu.m and a flux along a path;
- a control electrode system for controlling the flux of the metal ion beam;
- a neutralizing chamber disposed in the path of the flux for neutralizing the ions in the flux to generate a fast atom beam;
- and
- a neutralizing gas supply means for supplying a neutralizing gas containing a metal element into said neutralizing chamber.
A microprocessing apparatus for processing microsized structure on a workpiece comprising:
- a metal ion beam generating means for ionizing a liquid metal and generating a metal ion beam having a diameter less then 1 .mu.m and a flux along a path;
- a control electrode system for controlling the flux of the metal ion beam;
- a neutralizing chamber disposed in the path of the flux for neutralizing the ions in the flux to generate a fast atom beam;
- and
- a neutralizing gas supply means for supplying a neutralizing gas containing a metal element into said neutralizing chamber.
A microanalyzer for analyzing materials such as insulators comprising:
- a metal ion beam generating means for ionizing a liquid metal and generating a metal ion beam having a diameter less than 1 .mu.m and a flux along a path;
- a control electrode system for controlling the flux of the metal ion beam;
- a neutralizing chamber disposed in the path of the flux for neutralizing the ions in the flux to generate a fast atom beam;
- neutralizing gas supply means for supplying a neutralizing gas containing a metal element into said neutralizing chamber;
- a sample holding device for holding a sample in the path of said fast atom beam;
- and
- a secondary emission detecting device for defecting a secondary emission emitted from said sample when said fast atom beam is irradiated to said sample.
A method of generating an electrically neutral fast atom beam comprising the steps of:
- ionizing a liquid metal generating a metal ion beam having a diameter less than 1 .mu.m and a flux along a path;
- controlling the flux of the metal ion beam with a control electrode system;
- and
- neutralizing the ions in the flux with a neutralizing chamber disposed in the path of the flux by supplying a neutralizing gas containing a metal element into the neutralizing chamber from a neutralizing gas supply to generate a fast atom beam.
A method of processing microsized structure on a workpiece comprising the steps of:
- ionizing a liquid metal to generate metal ions and generating a metal ion beam having a diameter less then 1 .mu.m and a flux along a path;
- controlling the flux of the metal ion beam with a control electrode system;
- and
- neutralizing the ions in the flux with a neutralizing chamber disposed in the path of the flux by supplying a neutralizing gas containing a metal element from a neutralizing gas supply into the neutralizing chamber to generate a fast atom beam.
A method of microanalyzing materials such as insulators comprising the steps of:
- ionizing a liquid metal and generating a metal ion beam having a diameter less than 1 .mu.m and a flux along a path;
- controlling the flux of the metal ion beam with a control electrode system;
- neutralizing the ions in the flux with a neutralizing chamber disposed in the path of the flux by supplying a neutralizing gas containing a metal element from a neutralizing gas supply into the neutralizing chamber to generate a fast atom beam;
- holding a sample in the path of the fast atom beam with a sample holding device;
- and
- detecting a secondary emission emitted from the sample with a secondary emission detecting device when the fast atom beam is irradiated to the sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.