Adaptive GCIB for smoothing surfaces
US6805807B2 · kind B2 · utility
4Cited by
4References
29Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 31, 2001 |
| Grant date | Oct 19, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 30, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/32115
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method of processing the surface of a workpiece using an adaptive gas cluster ion beam is disclosed. The invention provides a method of reducing the surface roughness and/or improving the surface smoothing of a workpiece by etching at various etch rates. The workpiece is initially processed with a gas cluster ion beam having an initial etch rate and then the beam is adjusted so that the workpiece is processed with one or more lower etch rates. The advantages are minimum required processing time, minimum remaining roughness of the final surface, and minimum material removal in order to attain a desired level of smoothness.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.