Patent ID: 8691700

Claim:
A method of etching a substrate, comprising: preparing a mask layer having a pattern formed therein on or above at least a portion of a substrate; etching a feature pattern into said substrate from said pattern in said mask layer using a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB); and controlling a sidewall profile of said feature pattern etched into said substrate by adjusting a beam divergence of said GCIB during said etching of said feature pattern, wherein generating said GCIB includes: selecting a beam acceleration potential, one or more beam focus potentials, and a beam dose to achieve a target for said beam divergence and achieve said sidewall profile of said feature pattern; accelerating said GCIB according to said beam acceleration potential; focusing said GCIB to according to said one or more beam focus potentials; and irradiating said GCIB onto at least a portion of said substrate according to said beam dose.