Gas cluster ion beam smoother apparatus

A substrate surface treatment apparatus, comprising:

• a nozzle to form a beam comprising gas cluster particles comprising a plurality of atoms or molecules, said beam further comprising gas monomers;
• an ionizer to ionize said gas cluster particles and gas monomers;
• a power supply to accelerate the gas cluster particles and gas monomers;
• a permanent magnet beam filter to remove accelerated gas monomers from said beam;
• and
• scanning means for irradiating the magnetically filtered accelerated gas cluster particles onto a surface of a substrate in a reduced pressure atmosphere.

A substrate surface treatment method, comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming a beam comprising gas cluster particles comprising a plurality of atoms or molecules, said beam further comprising gas monomers;
• (b) accelerating the gas cluster particles and gas monomers;
• (c) focussing the accelerated gas cluster particles and gas monomers using a lens combination to realize a long focal length;
• (d) filtering the focussed gas cluster particles and gas monomers to remove the monomers using a permanent magnet beam filter;
• and
• (e) irradiating the accelerated magnetically filtered gas cluster particles onto a surface of a substrate in a reduced pressure atmosphere.

A substrate surface treatment apparatus, comprising:

• a nozzle to form a beam comprising gas cluster particles comprising a plurality of atoms or molecules, said beam further comprising gas monomers;
• an ionizer to ionize said gas cluster particles comprising a plurality of atoms or molecules and said gas monomers;
• a power supply to accelerate the gas cluster particles and the gas monomers;
• a lens combination to focus the accelerated gas cluster particles and the gas monomers to realize a long focal length;
• a permanent magnet beam filter to filter the gas monomers from the gas cluster particles within the focussed beam;
• and
• scanning means for irradiating the magnetically filtered accelerated gas cluster particles onto a surface of a substrate in a reduced pressure atmosphere.

An apparatus for treating a surface of a substrate, comprising:

• a nozzle to form a beam comprising gas cluster particles comprising a plurality of atoms or molecules, said beam further comprising gas monomers;
• an ionizer to ionize the gas cluster particles and gas monomers;
• a power supply to accelerate the gas cluster particles and gas monomers;
• a lens assembly to focus the accelerated gas cluster particles and gas monomers;
• a filter to remove the gas monomers from the gas cluster particles;
• scanning means for irradiating the filtered accelerated gas cluster particles onto a surface of a workpiece situated in a reduced pressure atmosphere chamber;
• and
• a substrate loading/unloading mechanism to load and unload the workpiece;
• said substrate loading/unloading mechanism providing a workpiece from a plurality of workpieces onto a holder positioned at a first position within the reduced pressure atmosphere chamber, said first position being substantially parallel to a central axis of a flow of the filtered accelerated gas cluster particles;
• said substrate loading/unloading mechanism moving the holder with a workpiece thereon to a second position, said second position being substantially perpendicular to said first position and the central axis of a flow of the filtered accelerated gas cluster particles.

An apparatus for treating a surface of a substrate, comprising:

• a nozzle to form a beam comprising gas cluster particles comprising a plurality of atoms or molecules;
• a skimmer for removing undesired gas molecules from the beam, said skimmer having an entrance aperture through which said beam passes;
• an ionizer to ionize said gas cluster particles;
• a power supply to accelerate the gas cluster particles;
• and
• scanning means for irradiating the accelerated gas cluster particles onto a surface of a workpiece situated in a reduced pressure atmosphere chamber;
• said nozzle including an alignment device;
• said alignment device including,
• a X/Y translation element, and
• an angular translation element,
• wherein the angular translation element has a pivot point at the entrance aperture of the skimmer and is capable of providing angular adjustment through rotation about the pivot point without corresponding adjustments to the X/Y translational element.

An apparatus for smoothing a surface of a substrate, comprising:

• a nozzle to form gas cluster particles comprising a plurality of atoms or molecules;
• an Ionizer to ionize said gas cluster particles;
• a power supply to accelerate the gas cluster particles;
• a triode/Einzel lens combination assembly to focus the accelerated gas cluster particles;
• a permanent magnet beam filter to filter the focussed gas cluster particles;
• scanning means for irradiating the filtered accelerated gas cluster particles onto a surface of a workpiece situated in a reduced pressure atmosphere chamber;
• and
• a substrate loading/unloading mechanism to load and unload the workpiece;
• said nozzle including an alignment device;
• said alignment device including,
• a X/Y translation element having micrometer driving heads with opposing return spring assemblies, and
• an angular translation element having micrometer driving heads with opposing return spring assemblies;
• said substrate loading/unloading mechanism providing a workpiece from a plurality of workpieces onto a holder positioned at a first position within the reduced pressure atmosphere chamber, said first position being substantially parallel to a central axis of a flow of the filtered accelerated gas cluster particles;
• said substrate loading/unloading mechanism moving the holder with a workpiece thereon to a second position, said second position being substantially perpendicular to said first position and the central axis of a flow of the filtered accelerated gas cluster particles.