Patent ID: 9540725
Date: 2017-01-10
CPC Classifications: C23C,H01J,H01L

Claim:
1. A method of controlling a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) system for processing a structure on a substrate, the method comprising: providing a GCIB system comprising deflection plates that direct a GCIB towards a substrate and a deflection circuit; providing a substrate scanning device configured to move the substrate in three dimensions; coupling the substrate with the substrate scanning device configured such that a substrate distance between the deflection plates and a surface of the substrate stay within a target range; exposing the substrate to the GCIB while the substrate is being moved by the substrate scanning device in one or more dimensions; controlling, using a controller, a deflection angle φ of the GCIB incident upon the substrate by controlling a set of deflection operating parameters while the substrate is being exposed to the GCIB in order to achieve one or more deflection objectives.