Patent ID: 8052885

Claim:
A method for modifying a surface of a substrate (or a portion thereof), comprising: implanting ions into the one or more portions of the surface to chemically convert the one or more portions to a material that is susceptible to etching due to interaction with the electron beam and gas composition; exposing one or more portions of the surface to a gas composition, the gas composition containing one or more gaseous components that etch the substrate upon activation by interaction with a beam of electrons; directing a beam of electrons (electron beam) to the one or more portions of the surface of the substrate that are exposed to the gas composition to etch the one or more portions; and modifying one or more features on the surface of the substrate by adjusting the electron beam to vary a pattern of etching of the one or more portions, wherein adjusting the electron beam includes increasing or reducing a rate of etching of selected portions of the surface of the substrate that are subjected to the electron beam relative to a rate of etching of other portions of the substrate that are subjected to the electron beam by adjusting one or more parameters of the electron beam wherein a dose and/or energy of the ions implanted into the one or more portions of the surface is configured to achieve a desired smoothness of a bottom of the pattern of etching of the one or more portions.