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US 8,008,639 B2Granted
System for processing an object
AssigneeCarl Zeiss NTS GmbH
InventorsWolfram Buhler, Alexander Rosenthal, Camille Stebler, Emmerich Bertagnolli, Heinz Wanzenbock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A processing system comprises a gas supply apparatus with which process gas is supplied to an object. An activation beam activates the gas thereby inducing a chemical reaction between material at the surface of the object and the process gas causing ablation of material from the surface or deposition of material at the surface. The gas supply apparatus is formed from a stack of plates providing a gas conduit system between at least one gas inlet and at least one gas outlet.
Claims28
A system for processing an object, the system comprising:
- a gas supply apparatus for supplying gas to the object;
- a beam source for generating at least one activation beam for activating the gas;
- and
- a beam optics for directing the at least one activation beam to the object,
- wherein the gas supply apparatus comprises a stack of a plurality of plates, being adjoined via their flat sides extending transverse to a beam direction of the activation beam, wherein the stack of plates allows traversal of the activation beam towards the object and wherein the stack of plates comprises at least one gas inlet and at least one gas outlet which gas outlet is arranged in a flat side of a plate of the stack which plate is arranged closest to the object, wherein the gas inlet and the gas outlet are connected with each other by a conduit system formed in the stack which conduit system comprises at least one conduit section extending from a location in the stack remote from a location of the traversal of the activation beam to a location close to the location of the traversal of the activation beam, wherein the gas supply apparatus further comprises a tempering apparatus inside the stack of plates for at least one of cooling and heating gas contained in the gas conduit system.
2 more elements
A system for processing an object, the system comprising:
- a gas supply apparatus for supplying gas to the object;
- a beam source for generating at least one activation beam for activating the gas;
- and
- a beam optics for directing the at least one activation beam to the object,
- wherein the gas supply apparatus comprises a stack of a plurality of plates, being adjoined via their flat sides extending transverse to a beam direction of the activation beam, wherein the stack of plates allows traversal of the activation beam towards the object and wherein the stack of plates comprises at least one gas inlet and at least one gas outlet which gas outlet is arranged in a flat side of a plate of the stack which plate is arranged closest to the object, wherein the gas inlet and the gas outlet are connected with each other by a conduit system formed in the stack which conduit system comprises at least one conduit section extending from a location in the stack remote from a location of the traversal of the activation beam to a location close to the location of the traversal of the activation beam, wherein the gas supply apparatus comprises at least two gas inlets and further comprises within the stack of plates a mixer for mixing two different gases entering via the at least two gas inlets into the gas conduit system.
2 more elements
A system for processing an object, the system comprising:
- a gas supply apparatus for supplying gas to the object;
- a beam source for generating at least one activation beam for activating the gas;
- and
- a beam optics for directing the at least one activation beam to the object,
- wherein the gas supply apparatus comprises a stack of a plurality of plates, being adjoined via their flat sides extending transverse to a beam direction of the activation beam, wherein the stack of plates allows traversal of the activation beam towards the object and wherein the stack of plates comprises at least one gas inlet and at least one gas outlet which gas outlet is arranged in a flat side of a plate of the stack which plate is arranged closest to the object, wherein the gas inlet and the gas outlet are connected with each other by a conduit system formed in the stack which conduit system comprises at least one conduit section extending from a location in the stack remote from a location of the traversal of the activation beam to a location close to the location of the traversal of the activation beam, wherein the gas supply apparatus further comprises within the stack of plates a pressure sensor for measuring a pressure of gas contained in the gas conduit system.
2 more elements
A system for processing an object, the system comprising:
- a gas supply apparatus for supplying gas to the object;
- a beam source for generating at least one activation beam for activating the gas;
- and
- a beam optics for directing the at least one activation beam to the object,
- wherein the gas supply apparatus comprises a stack of a plurality of plates, being adjoined via their flat sides extending transverse to a beam direction of the activation beam, wherein the stack of plates allows traversal of the activation beam towards the object and wherein the stack of plates comprises at least one gas inlet and at least one gas outlet which gas outlet is arranged in a flat side of a plate of the stack which plate is arranged closest to the object, wherein the gas inlet and the gas outlet are connected with each other by a conduit system formed in the stack which conduit system comprises at least one conduit section extending from a location in the stack remote from a location of the traversal of the activation beam to a location close to the location of the traversal of the activation beam, wherein the beam source is adapted for generating a plurality of activation beams, and wherein the beam optics is adapted to direct the plural activation beams to locations on the object arranged spaced apart from each other.
2 more elements
A system for processing an object, the system comprising:
- a gas supply apparatus for supplying gas to the object;
- a beam source for generating at least one activation beam for activating the gas;
- and
- a beam optics for directing the at least one activation beam to the object,
- wherein the gas supply apparatus comprises a stack of a plurality of plates, being adjoined via their flat sides extending transverse to a beam direction of the activation beam, wherein the stack of plates allows traversal of the activation beam towards the object and wherein the stack of plates comprises at least one gas inlet and at least one gas outlet which gas outlet is arranged in a flat side of a plate of the stack which plate is arranged closest to the object, wherein the gas inlet and the gas outlet are connected with each other by a conduit system formed in the stack which conduit system comprises at least one conduit section extending from a location in the stack remote from a location of the traversal of the activation beam to a location close to the location of the traversal of the activation beam, wherein the gas inlet is arranged in a flat side of a plate of the stack arranged farthest from the object.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.