Multi-source plasma focused ion beam system
AssigneeFEI Company
InventorsNoel Smith, Clive D. Chandler, Mark W. Utlaut, Paul P. Tesch, Dave Tuggle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a plasma ion beam system that includes multiple gas sources and that can be used for performing multiple operations using different ion species to create or alter submicron features of a work piece. The system preferably uses an inductively coupled, magnetically enhanced ion beam source, suitable in conjunction with probe-forming optics sources to produce ion beams of a wide variety of ions without substantial kinetic energy oscillations induced by the source, thereby permitting formation of a high resolution beam.
Claims8
A method of charged particle beam processing, comprising:
- providing an ion beam system having an inert gas supply, an ion source including an RF-excited, impedance matched plasma chamber having substantially no time varying modulation of the plasma arising from the time varying RF-voltage, the inert gas supply being connected to the plasma chamber of the ion source for producing inert gas ions and the ion beam system including focusing optics for forming a beam of inert gas ions extracted from the plasma chamber, and including a gas injection system for introducing an etch or deposition precursor gas into a lower chamber containing a work piece to be processed;
- causing the inert gas from the inert gas supply to enter the plasma chamber;
- extracting the beam of inert gas ions from the plasma chamber;
- causing the etch or deposition precursor gas to be injected into the lower chamber;
- and
- processing the work piece using the beam of inert gas ions to decompose the process gas to process the work piece.
A method of charged particle beam processing, comprising:
- providing an ion beam system having a plurality of gas source connections for connecting multiple source gases to the plasma chamber of an ion source for producing ions of one or more of the gas species;
- the ion beam system including focusing optics for forming a beam of ions extracted from the plasma chamber and including a lower chamber sequentially containing work pieces to be processed;
- causing a first gas from the plurality of gas supplies to enter the plasma chamber;
- extracting a first beam of ions of the first gas from the plasma chamber;
- processing the first work piece using the first beam of ions;
- removing the first work piece from the lower chamber;
- inserting a second work piece into the lower chamber;
- causing a second gas from the plurality of gas supplies to enter the plasma chamber;
- extracting a second beam of ions of the second gas from the plasma chamber;
- and
- processing the second work piece using the second beam of ions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.