Virtual shutter in ion beam system
The present disclosure provides a method of processing a substrate within an ion beam system. The substrate has a top surface that has a plurality of features, an edge and a bottom surface. The substrate is placed on a wafer stage and an energetic particle beam having a radial flux distribution over at least a portion of a major dimension thereof is ignited. The energetic particle beam is stabilized while the bottom surface of the substrate is oriented toward the major dimension of the energetic particle beam. The wafer stage with the substrate is oriented so that the top surface of the substrate is exposed to the major dimension of the energetic particle beam. After stabilization of the energetic particle beam, the plurality of features on the top surface of the substrate are exposed to the energetic particle beam in a treatment zone.
1 . A method of processing a substrate, the method comprising:
placing the substrate on a wafer stage within a shutterless ion beam system, the substrate having a top surface having a plurality of features, an edge and a bottom surface;
tilting the wafer stage with the substrate to a hide position within the shutterless ion beam system;
igniting an energetic particle beam having a radial flux distribution over at least a portion of a major dimension thereof, said ignition of the energetic particle beam occurring after the wafer has been tilted to the hide position;
stabilizing said energetic particle beam and rotating the substrate on the wafer stage during stabilization while the substrate on the wafer stage is in the hide position within the shutterless ion beam system;
orienting the wafer stage with the substrate after the stabilizing step so that the plurality of features on the top surface of the substrate are exposed to the major dimension of the energetic particle beam; and
exposing the plurality of features on the top surface of the substrate to the energetic particle beam in a treatment zone.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stabilization of the energetic particle beam is performed for a time period of at least 1 second while the substrate on the wafer stage is in the hide position within the shutterless ion beam system.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising reducing voltage to a beam grid while the plurality of the features on the top surface of the substrate are being brought into a processing position and while a plasma remains ignited.
4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising reducing voltage to a beam grid and reducing voltage to a suppresor grid while the plurality of the features on the top surface of the substrate are being brought into a processing position and while a plasma remains ignited.
5 . A method of processing a substrate, the method comprising:
placing the substrate on a wafer stage within a shutterless ion beam deposition system, the substrate having a top surface having a plurality of features, an edge and a bottom surface;
igniting an energetic particle beam within the ion beam deposition system;
tilting the wafer stage with the substrate to a hide position within the shutterless ion beam deposition system;
focusing the energetic particle beam on a sputtering target;
generating an energetic particle beam of sputtered material from the sputtering target using the energetic particle beam, said generation of the energetic particle beam of sputtered material occurring after the wafer has been tilted to the hide position;
stabilizing said energetic particle beam of sputtered material and rotating the substrate on the wafe stage during stabilization while the substrate on the wafer stage is in the hide position within the shutterless ion beam deposition system;
orienting the wafer stage with the substrate after the stabilizing step so that the plurality of features on the top surface of the substrate are exposed to the energetic particle beam of sputtered material; and
exposing the plurality of features on the top surface of the substrate to the energetic particle beam of sputtered material in a treatment zone.