Patent US4461954A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4461954A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ion-processing method and apparatus
Assignee: Japan Kinoko Research Center Foundation
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Filing: 1982-04-19
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Granted: 1984-07-24
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Expires: 2002-04-19
Abstract
Abstract An ion-processing method and apparatus utilizing a slender tubular member having an open end and communicating with an inlet conduit. The tubular member is positioned to bring the open end in spaced juxtaposition with a workpiece across a small gap of a size of 10 and 1000 μm in an evacuated an ionizable material is supplied into the slender tubular member through the inlet conduit for feeding it into the small gap through the open end. A power supply is provided to energize the supplied gas to form ions thereof and to apply an accelerating potential to the formed ions to propel them in a beam across the small gap to impinge upon a limited area of the surface of the workpiece juxtaposed with the open end of the slender tubular member. The pressure within the small gap, ranging between 10 -4 and 10 -1 Torr, is maintained in excess of the pressure of the surrounding the gap, ranging between 10 -6 and 10 -4 Torr.
Inventors
- 👤 Kiyoshi Inoue
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 12:39
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/22; C23C14/48; C23C14/24; C23C14/32; H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/30; H01J37/305; H01J37/317
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
131 words
A method of processing a workpiece with a beam of energetic ions, comprising the steps of: positioning a slender tubular member to bring an open end thereof into spaced juxtaposition with a workpiece across a small gap of a size ranging between 10 and 1000 μm in an evacuated space; supplying said tubular member with an ionizable gas for feeding it into said gap through said open end; energizing said supplied gas to form ions thereof and supplying an electrical potential to said ions to propel them in a beam across said small gap to impinge onto a limited area of the surface of said workpiece juxtaposed with said open end; and maintaining the pressure within said small gap in excess of the pressure in said space surrounding said small gap.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
131 words
A method of processing a workpiece with a beam of energetic ions, comprising the steps of: positioning a slender tubular member to bring an open end thereof into spaced juxtaposition with a workpiece across a small gap of a size ranging between 10 and 1000 μm in an evacuated space; supplying said tubular member with an ionizable gas for feeding it into said gap through said open end; energizing said supplied gas to form ions thereof and supplying an electrical potential to said ions to propel them in a beam across said small gap to impinge onto a limited area of the surface of said workpiece juxtaposed with said open end; and maintaining the pressure within said small gap in excess of the pressure in said space surrounding said small gap.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein said gap size is not greater than 50 μm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method defined in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the pressures in said atmosphere and within said small gap are maintained in the range between 10 -6 and 10 -4 Torr and in the range between 10 -4 and 10 -1 Torr, respectively.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein the pressure within said small gap is maintained so as to be greater by at least one order in Torr than the pressure in said space.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein said pressures are maintained by continuously replenishing said ionizable gas into said slender tube member while continuously evacuating said space.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein said ionizable gas is at least one substance selected from the group which consists of argon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein said ionizable gas is at least one substance selected from the group which consists of polyhalogenated hydrocarbons containing fluorine and chlorine; fluorides; and chlorides.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of applying a magnetic field of a magnetic flux density in excess of 500 Gauss to said ions in the region of said small gap to controlledly facilitate dispersion of said ions impinging on said workpiece in said small gap.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of relatively displacing said workpiece and said slender tubular member in a plane substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of said slender tubular member along a prescribed path to successively process said surface in a scanning manner over a predetermined area thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method defined in claim 1 or claim 9, further comprising the step of displacing said slender tubular member relative to said workpiece in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said slender tubular member to maintain said gap size substantially constant.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method defined in claim 10, further comprising the steps of electrically sensing said gap size to provide a control signal and, in response to said control signal, axially displacing said slender tubular member towards said workpiece so as to maintain said gap size substantially at a predetermined value.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein said slender tubular member is composed at least in part of an electrically conductive material to constitute one of a pair of electrodes with respect to said workpiece constituting the other electrode for establishing said electrical potential therebetween.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method defined in claim 12 wherein said slender tubular member is composed at least in a region of said open end of said electrically conductive material constituting said one electrode.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method defined in claim 13 wherein said ions are formed within said small gap under said electrical potential.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method defined in claim 1 or claim 14 wherein said electrical potential ranges between 1 and 10 kV.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
154 words
An apparatus for processing a workpiece with a beam of ions, comprising: a slender tubular member having an open end and communicating with an inlet conduit; means for positioning said slender tubular member to bring said open end into spaced juxtaposition with the workpiece across a small gap of a size ranging between 10 and 1000 μm in an evacuated space; means for supplying an ionizable gas into said slender tubular member through said inlet conduit and feeding said gas into said small gap through said open end; means for energizing said supplied gas to form ions and applying an electrical potential to said ions to propel them in a beam across said small gap to impinge on a limited area of the surface of said workpiece juxtaposed with said open end; and means for maintaining the pressure within said small gap in excess of the pressure of said space surrounding said small gap.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
154 words
An apparatus for processing a workpiece with a beam of ions, comprising: a slender tubular member having an open end and communicating with an inlet conduit; means for positioning said slender tubular member to bring said open end into spaced juxtaposition with the workpiece across a small gap of a size ranging between 10 and 1000 μm in an evacuated space; means for supplying an ionizable gas into said slender tubular member through said inlet conduit and feeding said gas into said small gap through said open end; means for energizing said supplied gas to form ions and applying an electrical potential to said ions to propel them in a beam across said small gap to impinge on a limited area of the surface of said workpiece juxtaposed with said open end; and means for maintaining the pressure within said small gap in excess of the pressure of said space surrounding said small gap.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
55 words
The apparatus defined in claim 16 wherein the last-mentioned means include a receptacle for receiving said workpiece and at least a portion of said open end of the slender tubular member and vacuum pump means for maintaining the pressure in said space within said receptacle in a range between 10 -6 and 10 -4 Torr.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
57 words
The apparatus defined in claim 17 wherein said supply means includes valve means constituting a portion of said pressure-maintaining means and arranged between said inlet conduit and a source of said gas, said valve means being adjustable so as to maintain the pressure within said small gap in a range between 10 -4 and 10 -1 Torr.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus defined in claim 18, further comprising means responsive to a change in the pressure within said small gap for controlling at least one of said vacuum pump means and said valve means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus defined in claim 16, further comprising means responsive to a change in said gap size for relatively displacing said slender tubular member at said workpiece so as to maintain said gap size substantially at a predetermined value.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus defined in claim 16 or claim 20, further comprising means for relatively displacing said workpiece and said slender tubular member in a plane substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of said slender tubular member along a prescribed path to successively process said workpiece surface in a scanning manner over a predetermined area.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus defined in claim 16 wherein said tubular element is composed at least in part of an electrically conductive material to constitute one of a pair of electrodes with respect to said workpiece constituting the other electrode for establishing said electrical potential therebetween.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus defined in claim 22 wherein said slender tubular member is composed at least in a region of said open end of said electrically conductive material constituting said one electrode.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus defined in claim 22 or 23 wherein said one electrode is poled to be anodic and said other electrode is poled to be cathodic.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus defined in claim 16 or claim 23 wherein said slender tubular member has an inner diameter ranging between 0.1 and 0.5 mm.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus defined in claim 16 or claim 23, further comprising means for applying a magnetic field of a flux magnetic density in excess of 500 Gauss to said beam of ions in the region of said small gap to controlledly facilitate dispersion of said ions impinging on said workpiece.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-07-24 | 1988-01-23 | 1988-07-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-07-24 | 1992-01-23 | 1992-07-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-07-24 | 1996-01-23 | 1996-07-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |