Patent ID: 9324567
Filing Date: 2016-04-26
CPC Classification: C23F,H01L

Claim Text:
1. A method for etching material on a substrate, comprising: providing a substrate comprising crystalline silicon and an exposed material layer on a surface of the substrate; maintaining a reduced-pressure environment around a substrate holder for holding said substrate; holding said substrate securely within said reduced-pressure environment; performing a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) etching process to remove at least a portion of said exposed material layer using a GCIB, said GCIB etching process including: establishing a GCIB process condition that includes setting: forming a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) based, at least in part, on said GCIB process condition; accelerating said GCIB through said reduced-pressure environment; and irradiating said accelerated GCIB onto at least a portion of said surface of said substrate to etch at least a portion of said substrate.