Supersonic molecular beam etching of surfaces
First Claim
1. A method of etching a structure with a supersonic molecular beam, comprising the steps of:
- generating a supersonic molecular beam by expanding energetic reactant molecules through a nozzle into a vacuum;
creating said energetic reactant molecules at said nozzle by mixing and reacting individually stable precursor gases; and
directing said supersonic molecular beam onto a substrate.
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Abstract
In supersonic molecular beam etching, the reactivity of the etchant gas and substrate surface is improved by creating etchant gas molecules with high internal energies through chemical reactions of precursor molecules, forming clusters of etchant gas molecules in a reaction chamber, expanding the etchant gas molecules and clusters of etchant gas molecules through a nozzle into a vacuum, and directing the molecules and clusters of molecules onto a substrate. Translational energy of the molecules and clusters of molecules can be improved by seeding with inert gas molecules. The process provides improved controllability, surface purity, etch selectivity and anisotropy. Etchant molecules may also be expanded directly (without reaction in a chamber) to produce clusters whose translational energy can be increased through expansion with a seeding gas.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of etching a structure with a supersonic molecular beam, comprising the steps of:
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generating a supersonic molecular beam by expanding energetic reactant molecules through a nozzle into a vacuum; creating said energetic reactant molecules at said nozzle by mixing and reacting individually stable precursor gases; and directing said supersonic molecular beam onto a substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 4, 5, 17, 18)
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3. A method of etching a structure with a supersonic molecular beam, comprising the steps of:
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generating a supersonic molecular beam by expanding reactant molecules through a nozzle into a vacuum; creating said reactant molecules at said nozzle from precursor gases; seeding said reactant molecules with non-reactive molecules; and directing said supersonic molecular beam onto a substrate, wherein said non-reactive molecules have a higher molecular weight than said reactant molecules.
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6. A method of etching a structure with a supersonic molecular beam, comprising the steps of:
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generating a supersonic molecular beam by expanding reactant molecules through a nozzle into a vacuum; seeding said reactant molecules with non-reactive molecules; and forming clusters of said reactant molecules with energy controlled by a non-reactive additive; and directing said supersonic molecular beam onto a substrate. - View Dependent Claims (8, 19)
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7. A method of etching a structure with a supersonic molecular beam, comprising the steps of:
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generating a supersonic molecular beam by expanding reactant molecules through a nozzle into a vacuum; forming clusters of said reactant molecules; seeding said reactant molecules with non-reactive molecules; and directing said supersonic molecular beam onto a substrate. wherein said non-reactive molecules have a higher molecular weight than said reactant molecules in said clusters.
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9. A method of etching a layer on a substrate layer, comprising the steps of:
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introducing individually stable precursor gases into a reaction chamber where molecules of said precursor gases react to form an energetic reactant species; generating a supersonic molecular beam by expanding said energetic reactant species through a nozzle into a vacuum; and directing said supersonic molecular beam onto a portion of said layer on said substrate. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 20)
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14. A method of etching a layer on a substrate, comprising the steps of:
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forming clusters of etchant molecules in a chamber by mixing at least two gasses which reactively combine with each other; generating a supersonic molecular beam by expanding said clusters of etchant molecules through a nozzle into a vacuum; and directing said supersonic molecular beam onto a portion of said substrate. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 21)
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Specification