Apparatus for depositing electrically conductive and/or electrically insulating material on a workpiece

Claim 1

An apparatus for depositing electrically conductive and/or electrically insulating material on a workpiece (5) comprising support means (6) for supporting a workpiece (5) and means (2,4) for directing an ion beam onto a surface region of a workpiece (5) supported by said support means (6) characterised by a gas blowing device (9-1, 9-2) for blowing one or more gases onto said region while the latter is being irradiated with said ion beam so as to form electrically conductive and/or electrically insulating material thereon.

Claim 2

An apparatus for depositing electrically conductive and/or electrically insulating material on a workpiece (5) comprising support means (6) for supporting a workpiece (5) and means (2,4) for directing an ion beam onto a surface region of a workpiece (5) supported by said support means (6) characterised by a gas blowing device (9-1, 9-2) for blowing one or more gases onto said region while the latter is being irradiated with said ion beam so as to form electrically conductive and/or electrically insulating material thereon.

Claim 5

An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim characterised by a charged particle detector (8) which detects data related to charged particles which are emitted from or are absorbed by the workpiece (5) during the irradiation of said region by the ion beam.

Claim 8

An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 4-6 characterised in that the operation of the gas blowing device (9-1, 9-2) is controlled by the said detector (8) in accordance with a predetermined program.

Claim 9

An apparatus as claimed in apy preceding claim characterised in that the gas blowing device (9-1) is selectively operable to blow onto said region either a gas for forming an electrically conductive pattern or a gas for forming an electrically insulating pattern.

Claim 10

An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the means (2,4) for directing the ion beam onto the said surface region is operable so that the ion beam cuts a portion of an electrically conductive pattern on the workpiece (5) prior to operation of the gas blowing device (9-2).

Claim 11

A method of depositing electrically conductive and/or electrically insulating material on a workpiece (5) comprising supporting the workpiece (5) on support means (6) and directing an ion beam onto a surface region of the workpiece (5) which is so supported, characterised by blowing one or more gases onto the said region while the latter is being irradiated with said ion beam so as to form electrically conductive and/or electrically insulating material thereon.

Claim 12

A method of depositing electrically conductive and/or electrically insulating material on a workpiece (5) comprising supporting the workpiece (5) on support means (6) and directing an ion beam onto a surface region of the workpiece (5) which is so supported, characterised by blowing one or more gases onto the said region while the latter is being irradiated with said ion beam so as to form electrically conductive and/or electrically insulating material thereon.

Claim 15

An apparatus for forming or correcting an electrical pattern on a specimen, said apparatus comprising means (2-4) for producing an ion beam which is narrowly squeezed and with which the surface of the specimen (5) is irradiated; scanning means (3) which deflects said ion beam to scan the surface of the specimen (5); a charged particle detector (8) which detects data related to charged particles that are emitted from said specimen (5) or that are absorbed by said specimen (5) as the surface of the specimen (5) is scanned with the ion beam by said scanning means (3); a display device (21) which displays an image formed by the charged particles that are detected by said charged particle detector (8), and a gas blowing device (9-1) which, as required, blows different gases onto the surface of the specimen (5) irradiated with said ion beam through a plurality of nozzles or/and which blows a desired gas through a single nozzle, and a gas for forming a conductive pattern or an insulating pattern is blown from said gas blowing device (9-1) onto the region where the conductive pattern or the insulating pattern is to be newly formed based upon the display data displayed on said display device (21) while said region is being irradiated with said ion beam, such that the conductive pattern and the insulating pattern are newly formed in a laminated manner.

Claim 16

An apparatus for forming or correcting an electrical pattern on a specimen, said apparatus comprising means (2-4) for producing an ion beam which is narrowly squeezed and with which the surface of the specimen (5) is irradiated; scanning means (3) which deflects said ion beam to scan the surface of the specimen (5); a charged particle detector (8) which detects data related to charged particles that are emitted from said specimen (5) or that are absorbed by said specimen (5) as the surface of the specimen (5) is scanned with the ion beam by said scanning means (3); a display device (21) which displays an image formed by the charged particles that are detected by said charged particle detector (8), and a gas blowing device (9-1) which, as required, blows different gases onto the surface of the specimen (5) irradiated with said ion beam through a plurality of nozzles or/and which blows a desired gas through a single nozzle, and a gas for forming a conductive pattern or an insulating pattern is blown from said gas blowing device (9-1) onto the region where the conductive pattern or the insulating pattern is to be newly formed based upon the display data displayed on said display device (21) while said region is being irradiated with said ion beam, such that the conductive pattern and the insulating pattern are newly formed in a laminated manner.

Claim 17

An apparatus for forming or correcting an electrical pattern on a specimen, said apparatus comprising means (2-4) for producing an ion beam which is narrowly squeezed and with which the surface of a specimen (5) is irradiated; scanning means (3) which deflects said ion beam to scan the surface of the specimen (5); a charged particle detector (8) which detects data related to charged particles that are emitted from said specimen (5) or that are absorbed by said specimen (5) as the surface of the specimen (5) is scanned with the ion beam by said scanning means (3); a display device (21) which displays an image formed by the charged particles that are detected by said charged particle detector (8); and a gas blowing device (9-2) which blows a gas onto the surface of the specimen (5) that is being irradiated with said ion beam, said ion beam being applied to effect the sputtering onto a region that is to be cut in a pattern formed on the surface of the specimen (5) relying upon the data displayed on said display device (21) to thereby cut said pattern, and the gas being blown by said gas blowing device (9-2) onto a region where a new conductive pattern is to be formed while said region is being irradiated with said ion beam, in order to form a new electrically conductive pattern which accomplishes electric connection.

Claim 18

An apparatus for forming or correcting an electrical pattern on a specimen, said apparatus comprising means (2-4) for producing an ion beam which is narrowly squeezed and with which the surface of a specimen (5) is irradiated; scanning means (3) which deflects said ion beam to scan the surface of the specimen (5); a charged particle detector (8) which detects data related to charged particles that are emitted from said specimen (5) or that are absorbed by said specimen (5) as the surface of the specimen (5) is scanned with the ion beam by said scanning means (3); a display device (21) which displays an image formed by the charged particles that are detected by said charged particle detector (8); and a gas blowing device (9-2) which blows a gas onto the surface of the specimen (5) that is being irradiated with said ion beam, said ion beam being applied to effect the sputtering onto a region that is to be cut in a pattern formed on the surface of the specimen (5) relying upon the data displayed on said display device (21) to thereby cut said pattern, and the gas being blown by said gas blowing device (9-2) onto a region where a new conductive pattern is to be formed while said region is being irradiated with said ion beam, in order to form a new electrically conductive pattern which accomplishes electric connection.