Time continuous ion-ion plasma
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsScott G. Walton, Robert Meger, Richard Fernsler, Darrin Leenhardt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ion-ion plasma source, that features a processing chamber containing a large concentration of halogen or halogen-based gases. A second chamber is coupled to the processing chamber and features an electron source which produces a high energy electron beam. The high energy electron beam is injected into the processing chamber where it is shaped and confined by a means for shaping and confining the high energy electron beam. The high energy electron beam produced in the second chamber when injected into the processing chamber ionizes the halogen gas creating a dense, ion-ion plasma in the processing chamber that is continuous in time.
Claims20
A method for producing a time continuous ion-ion plasma within a processing chamber comprising:
- providing at least one halogen gas including halogen gas molecules within said processing chamber;
- producing a high energy electron beam in the processing chamber, wherein said beam is time continuous;
- shaping said electron beam with a magnetic field;
- and
- ionizing and dissociating the halogen gas with said high energy electron beam to generate the time continuous ion-ion plasma comprising negative ions, positive ions and neutral radicals.
A method for etching a substrate material disposed on a stage within a processing chamber comprising:
- providing at least one halogen as including halogen gas molecules within said processing chamber;
- coating selected areas of the substrate material with a masking material and leaving other areas of the substrate material exposed;
- producing a time continuous high energy electron beam in response to an electron source being continually energized, wherein said high energy electron beam ionizes and dissociates the halogen gas producing plasma comprising negative ions and positive ions;
- and
- allowing the negative ions and positive ions to diffuse out of said plasma wherein said negative ions and positive ions etch the exposed area of the substrate material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.