Methods and apparatuses for directing an ion beam source
First Claim
1. An ion beam source with a closed-loop ion-emitting slit capable of emitting an ion beam toward a substrate surface, the ion beam source comprising:
- a housing including a cathode inner portion and a cathode outer portion, the outer portion extending around the inner portion and being spaced from the inner portion to form the closed-loop slit therebetween, the housing having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, said axes defining an operating plane, the closed-loop slit forming a slit plane that is oblique to the operating plane;
an anode disposed within the housing proximate the slit;
an electric power supply adapted to apply a voltage to the anode to form an electric field in an ionization region proximate the slit;
a magnetic element adapted to generate magnetic lines of flux that pass through the slit, the cathode inner and outer portions, and the magnetic element to form a closed-loop magneto-conductive circuit; and
a gas supply adapted to deliver a working medium into the housing to form a collimated ion beam that is emitted from the slit when the working medium passes through the ionization region, the ion beam having an ion beam direction that is substantially orthogonal to the slit plane such that the ion beam direction is oblique to the operating plane, the ion beam direction being defined by a centerline of the ion beam.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for directing an ion beam toward a surface of a substrate is disclosed. Certain embodiments of the invention relate generally to ion beam sources adapted to direct ion beams toward a surface of a substrate at an oblique angle of incidence relative to the surface. Certain embodiments of the invention are adapted to direct two ion beam portions toward a substrate surface, the ion beam portions having substantially equal throw distances. Preferred embodiments of the invention may be useful in etching applications, where the angle of incidence and throw distance of two ion beam portions are well suited for etching the surface of a substrate.
56 Citations
64 Claims
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1. An ion beam source with a closed-loop ion-emitting slit capable of emitting an ion beam toward a substrate surface, the ion beam source comprising:
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a housing including a cathode inner portion and a cathode outer portion, the outer portion extending around the inner portion and being spaced from the inner portion to form the closed-loop slit therebetween, the housing having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, said axes defining an operating plane, the closed-loop slit forming a slit plane that is oblique to the operating plane; an anode disposed within the housing proximate the slit; an electric power supply adapted to apply a voltage to the anode to form an electric field in an ionization region proximate the slit; a magnetic element adapted to generate magnetic lines of flux that pass through the slit, the cathode inner and outer portions, and the magnetic element to form a closed-loop magneto-conductive circuit; and a gas supply adapted to deliver a working medium into the housing to form a collimated ion beam that is emitted from the slit when the working medium passes through the ionization region, the ion beam having an ion beam direction that is substantially orthogonal to the slit plane such that the ion beam direction is oblique to the operating plane, the ion beam direction being defined by a centerline of the ion beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of directing an ion beam toward a substrate surface, the method comprising:
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providing a housing including a cathode inner portion and a cathode outer portion, the outer portion extending around the inner portion and being spaced from the inner portion to form a closed-loop slit therebetween, the housing having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis together defining an operating plane, the closed-loop slit forming a slit plane that is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the operating plane; providing an anode within the housing proximate the slit; supplying a positive voltage to the anode to form an electric field in an ionization region proximate the slit; generating magnetic lines of flux that pass through the slit, and through the cathode inner and outer portions to form a closed-loop magneto-conductive circuit; and supplying a working medium into the housing to form a collimated ion beam that is emitted from the slit when the working medium passes through the ionization region, the ion beam having an ion beam direction that is substantially orthogonal to the slit plane such that the ion beam direction is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the substrate surface, the ion beam direction being defined by a centerline of the ion beam. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A method of processing a substrate, the method comprising:
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depositing a first coating over a first major surface of the substrate, wherein during the deposition of the first coating, an overspray of material is deposited on a second major surface of the substrate, the first and second major surfaces being generally opposed; etching the second major surface of the substrate to remove at least some of the overspray; wherein said etching comprises directing a collimated ion beam toward the second major surface, the ion beam being emitted from an ion beam source having a slit with two long sections that are at least generally parallel to each other, wherein two ion beam portions emitted respectively from the two long sections of the slit form a divergent pattern and have substantially equal throw distances. - View Dependent Claims (61)
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- 62. A coater having a series of serially connected vacuum deposition chambers, wherein the coater has a path of substrate travel defined by a plurality of transport rollers, the coater having an ion beam source located beneath the path of substrate travel, the ion beam source having a slit with two long sections that are at least generally parallel to each other, the ion beam source being adapted to emit an ion beam having two portions that emanate respectively from the two long sections of the slit, wherein the ion beam source is configured such that said two portions of the ion beam have substantially equal throw distances and form a divergent pattern when moving toward the path of substrate travel, the ion beam source being adapted to emit the ion beam upwardly between two adjacent ones of the transport rollers.
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64. A coater having a series of serially connected vacuum deposition chambers, the coater having a path of substrate travel adapted for conveying a large-area substrate having a width of at least 1.5 meters, the path of substrate travel being defined by a plurality of transport rollers, the coater having an ion beam source that is located beneath the path of substrate travel and yet is mounted to a top lid of a desired one of the vacuum deposition chambers, wherein the ion beam source and the top lid can be removed from said desired vacuum deposition chamber as an integral unit by lifting the top lid off said desired vacuum deposition chamber thereby passing the ion beam source upwardly between two adjacent ones of the transport rollers.
Specification