Hybrid focused-flood ion beam system and method

Claim 2

In a charged particle beam microfabrication system of the type having a means for supporting a substrate upon which an elecrical circuit is to be fabricated, a charged particle beam source, means for focusing the beam to a small spot on the substrate, and means for deflecting the spot over the substrate in a desired pattern, the improvement comprising: means for positioning a mask in close proximity to the substrate, a beam modification means positioned in the beam path and having a first state altering the beam collimation so that the beam substantially floods a portion of the mask, and a second state at which the focused beam is substantially unaffected, and means for selectively switching said beam modification means between said first and second states, thereby enabling the system to be switched between rapid substrate processing in a flooded beam mode and detailed fabrication in a focused beam mode.

Claim 3

The microfabrication system of claim 1, further comprising means for forming the beam with a greater total current in the flooded beam mode than in the focused beam mode.

Claim 4

In a charged particle beam microfabrication system of the type having a means for supporting a substrate upon which an electrical circuit is to be fabricated, a charged particle beam source, an accelerating lens for accelerating and focusing the beam to a small spot on the substrate, and means for deflecting the spot over the substrate in a desired pattern, the improvement comprising: means for positioning a mask in close proximity to the substrate, a control lens positioned in the beam path and switchable between two states, the control lens being configured and positioned so that in the first lens state the beam is focused to the vicinity of the accelerating lens focal point, causing the accelerating lens to substantially flood a portion of the mask with the beam, and in the second lens state the beam is focused by the accelerating lens to a small spot on the substate, and means for selectively switching the control lens between its two states, thereby enabling switching between rapid substrate processing in a flooded beam mode and detailed fabrication in a focused beam mode.

Claim 5

In a charged particle beam microfabrication system of the type having a means for supporting a substrate upon which an electrical circuit is to be fabricated, a charged particle beam source, an accelerating lens for accelerating and focusing the beam to a small spot on the substrate, and means for deflecting the spot over the substrate in a desired pattern, the improvement comprising: means for positioning a mask in close proximity to the substrate, a control lens positioned in the beam path and switchable between two states, the control lens being configured and positioned so that in the first lens state the beam is focused to the vicinity of the accelerating lens focal point, causing the accelerating lens to substantially flood a portion of the mask with the beam, and in the second lens state the beam is focused by the accelerating lens to a small spot on the substate, and means for selectively switching the control lens between its two states, thereby enabling switching between rapid substrate processing in a flooded beam mode and detailed fabrication in a focused beam mode.

Claim 6

The microfabrication system of claim 3, said beam source comprising an ion beam source.

Claim 7

The ion beam microfabrication system of claim 4, wherein the control lens is positioned to focus the beam directly to the vicinity of the accelerating lens focal point in the first control lens state.

Claim 8

The ion beam microfabrication system of claim 5, the control lens comprising an einzel lens, and the switching means being connected to actuate and de-actuate the einzel lens in the flooded and focused beam modes, respectively.

Claim 9

The ion beam microfabrication system of claim 4, further comprising a current control means for forming the beam from the ion source with a greater total beam current in the flooded than in the focused beam mode.

Claim 10

The microfabrication system of claim 7, said current control means comprising a beam blocking means having a pair of beam transmitting apertures which are positionable in the beam path, the first aperture transmitting a greater portion of the beam with a greater total beam current than the second aperture, and means for selecting the first aperture to define the beam in the flooded mode and the second aperture to define the beam in the focused mode.

Claim 11

The microfabrication system of claim 8, the beam blocking means comprising first and second beam blocking members which are positionable next to each other in the beam path, the first and second apertures being formed in the first and second beam blocking members, respectively, the first aperture being substantially larger than the second aperture, and the aperture selecting means comprising means for positioning the second aperture and blocking member out of the beam path in the flooded mode and in the beam path in the focused mode.

Claim 12

In an ion beam microfabrication system of the type having a means for supporting a substrate upon which an electrical circuit is to be fabricated, an ion beam source, a focusing lens positioned to focus the beam emerging from the source to a first crossover, a mass separator positioned to remove undesired particles from the beam, a first accelerating lens positioned in the vicinity of the first beam crossover to accelerate the beam, a final accelerating lens positioned to further accelerate and focus the beam to a small spot on the substrate, and means for deflecting the spot over the substrate in a desired pattern, the improvement comprising: means for positioning a mask in close proximity to the substrate, a control lens capable of being switched between actuated and de-actuated states, the control lens being positioned between the first and final accelerating lenses to focus the beam from the first accelerating lens to a second crossover in the vicinity of the final accelerating lens focal point when the control lens is actuated, thereby causing the final accelerating lens to substantially flood a portion of the mask and underlying substate, and to pass the beam to the final accelerating lens without substantial change when the control lens is de-actuated, thereby permitting the final accelerating lens to focus the beam to a small spot on the substrate, and a switch means for selectively switching the control lens between actuated and de-actuated states.

Claim 13

In an ion beam microfabrication system of the type having a means for supporting a substrate upon which an electrical circuit is to be fabricated, an ion beam source, a focusing lens positioned to focus the beam emerging from the source to a first crossover, a mass separator positioned to remove undesired particles from the beam, a first accelerating lens positioned in the vicinity of the first beam crossover to accelerate the beam, a final accelerating lens positioned to further accelerate and focus the beam to a small spot on the substrate, and means for deflecting the spot over the substrate in a desired pattern, the improvement comprising: means for positioning a mask in close proximity to the substrate, a control lens capable of being switched between actuated and de-actuated states, the control lens being positioned between the first and final accelerating lenses to focus the beam from the first accelerating lens to a second crossover in the vicinity of the final accelerating lens focal point when the control lens is actuated, thereby causing the final accelerating lens to substantially flood a portion of the mask and underlying substate, and to pass the beam to the final accelerating lens without substantial change when the control lens is de-actuated, thereby permitting the final accelerating lens to focus the beam to a small spot on the substrate, and a switch means for selectively switching the control lens between actuated and de-actuated states.

Claim 14

The microfabrication system of claim 10, the control lens comprising an einzel lens, and the switch means being connected to actuate and de-actuate the enizel lens in the flooded and focused beam modes, respectively.

Claim 15

The microfabrication system of claim 11, wherein the focusing lens is an approximately 5× magnifying einzel lens, the first accelerating lens is an approximately unity×Munro lens, the control lens in the flooded beam mode is approximately 0.1× demagnifying einzel lens, and the final accelerating lens in the focused beam mode is an approximately 0.2× demagnifying Munro lens.

Claim 16

The microfabrication system of claim 10, further comprising a current control means for forming the beam from the ion source with a greater acceptance angle in the flooded than the focused beam mode, and a correspondingly greater total beam current.

Claim 17

The microfabrication system of claim 14, wherein the beam's half acceptance angle is approximately 10 mrad in the flooded mode and no more than approximately 1.5 mrad in the focused mode.

Claim 20

The method of claim 15, wherein the focused and flooded beam modes are selected for different portions of the same substrate.

Claim 21

The method of claim 16, for use with a substrate having alignment marks thereon, wherein the focused beam is deflected to scan the alignment marks to determine the relative position of the substrate.

Claim 22

The method of claim 16, the mask being provided with at least one opening, wherein the focused beam mode is selected for operating within said openings.

Claim 23

The method of claim 15, wherein the beam is formed with a greater total current in the flooded than in the focused beam mode.

Claim 24

The method of claim 19, wherein the beam is formed with a greater acceptance angle in the flooded than in the focused beam mode.

Claim 27

The method of claim 21, wherein the final acceleration is accomplished by a final accelerating lens, an einzel lens is positioned in the beam path to focus the beam to said second crossover substantially at the focal point of the final accelerating lens, and a selection is made between the focused and flooded modes by respectively de-actuating and actuating the einzel lens.

Claim 28

The method of claim 22, wherein the ion beam is formed with a substantially greater acceptance angle and a correspondingly greater total current in the flooded mode than in the focused mode.