Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
62 words
A dry etching apparatus for accommodating a sample (15) to be etched within a chamber (3) under reduced pressure conditions, characterized by: means for introducing a reactive gas thereinto; means for irradiating said sample (15) with ions, thus etching said sample; and means (17) to excite said reactive gas for generating activated species allowing said sample to be etched by chemical reaction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
62 words
A dry etching apparatus for accommodating a sample (15) to be etched within a chamber (3) under reduced pressure conditions, characterized by: means for introducing a reactive gas thereinto; means for irradiating said sample (15) with ions, thus etching said sample; and means (17) to excite said reactive gas for generating activated species allowing said sample to be etched by chemical reaction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
A dry etching apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said reactive gas is a gas of halogen compound, and said activated species is a radical or plasma thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A dry etching apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said reactive gas is a gas containing chloride (Cl) or a fluorine (F).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
A dry etching apparatus as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said ions are ions of a rare gas or a gas of a halogen compound, or a mixture of said rare gas and said halogen compound gas.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A dry etching apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said ions are ions of helium (He) or argon (Ar).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
A dry etching apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said ions are ions of a gas containing a chloride (Cl) or a fluorine (F).
Claim 8
Independent Claim
56 words
A method of dry etching in which a sample (15) is accommodated within a chamber (3) under reduced pressure conditions and is irradiated with ions to etch said sample, characterized in that a reactive gas is introduced and is excited to generate active species so that the sample is at least partially etched by chemical reaction.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
56 words
A method of dry etching in which a sample (15) is accommodated within a chamber (3) under reduced pressure conditions and is irradiated with ions to etch said sample, characterized in that a reactive gas is introduced and is excited to generate active species so that the sample is at least partially etched by chemical reaction.