Multiple nozzle gas cluster ion beam processing system and method of operating

1. A method of irradiating a substrate with a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB), comprising:

providing a GCIB processing system comprising a set of at least two nozzles for forming and emitting gas cluster beams;

loading a substrate to be processed into the GCIB processing system;

irradiating at least one region on the substrate with a first GCIB formed using the set of at least two nozzles; and

irradiating at least one region on the substrate with a second GCIB formed using the set of at least two nozzles,

wherein the first GCIB and the second GCIB are directed along a beam axis common to both the first and second GCIB.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the GCIB processing system further comprises a gas skimmer, and at least one gas supply in fluid communication with a first subset of nozzles and with a second subset of nozzles different than the first subset of nozzles, the first and second subset of nozzles each comprising at least one nozzle from the set of at least two nozzles, and wherein each nozzle in the set of at least two nozzles is configured for forming and emitting a gas cluster beam, and the set of at least two nozzles are arranged in mutual close proximity and capable of at least partially coalescing each of the gas cluster beams emitted from the set of at least two nozzles into the gas skimmer and along the beam axis.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one gas supply comprises:

a first gas supply in fluid communication with the first subset of nozzles; and

a second gas supply in fluid communication with the second subset of nozzles.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein:

the irradiating at least one region on the substrate with the first GCIB comprises:

flowing a first gas mixture from the at least one gas supply through at least the first subset of nozzles to form a first gas cluster beam,

directing the first gas cluster beam through the gas skimmer along the beam axis and then ionizing the first gas cluster beam to form the first GCIB, and

accelerating the first GCIB toward the substrate; and

the irradiating at least one region on the substrate with the second GCIB comprises:

flowing a second gas mixture from the at least one gas supply through at least the second subset of nozzles to form a second gas cluster beam,

directing the second gas cluster beam through the gas skimmer along the beam axis and then ionizing the second gas cluster beam to form a second GCIB, and

accelerating the second GCIB toward the substrate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first GCIB and the second GCIB have the same atomic and/or molecular constituents.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first GCIB and the second GCIB have different atomic and/or molecular constituents.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first GCIB and the second GCIB comprise one or more elements selected from the group consisting of H, B, C, Si, Ge, N, P, As, O, S, F, Cl, Br, He, Ne, Ar, Kr, or Xe.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more gas supply parameters selected from the group consisting of stagnation pressure and stagnation temperature are the same for the first GCIB and the second GCIB.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more gas supply parameters selected from the group consisting of stagnation pressure and stagnation temperature are different for the first GCIB and the second GCIB.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more process parameters selected from the group consisting of beam energy, beam energy distribution, beam focus, and beam dose are the same for the first GCIB and the second GCIB.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more process parameters selected from the group consisting of beam energy, beam energy distribution, beam focus, and beam dose are different for the first GCIB and the second GCIB.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the irradiating at least one region on the substrate with the first GCIB performs one or more processes on the substrate selected from the group consisting of doping, growing, depositing, etching, smoothing, amorphizing, or modifying a layer thereupon.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the irradiating at least one region on the substrate with the second GCIB performs one or more processes on the substrate selected from the group consisting of doping, growing, depositing, etching, smoothing, amorphizing, or modifying a layer thereupon.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

simultaneously performing the irradiating at least a portion of the substrate with the first GCIB and the irradiating at least a portion of the substrate with the second GCIB.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sequentially performing the irradiating at least a portion of the substrate with the first GCIB and the irradiating at least a portion of the substrate with the second GCIB.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sequentially performing includes a partial overlap between the irradiating at least a portion of the substrate with the first GCIB and the irradiating at least a portion of the substrate with the second GCIB.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

alternatingly and sequentially performing the irradiating at least a portion of the substrate with the first GCIB and the irradiating at least a portion of the substrate with the second GCIB.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the GCIB processing system further comprises a gas skimmer, and at least one gas supply in fluid communication with a first subset of nozzles and with a second subset of nozzles different than the first subset of nozzles, the first and second subset of nozzles each comprising at least one nozzle from the set of at least two nozzles, and wherein each nozzle in the set of at least two nozzles is configured for forming and emitting a gas cluster beam having a gas cluster beam axis, and the set of at least two nozzles are angled to converge each gas cluster beam axis toward a single intersecting point and direct one or more gas cluster beams into the gas skimmer along the beam axis.

19. A method of irradiating a substrate with a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB), comprising:

providing a GCIB processing system having a set of at least two nozzles for forming and emitting gas cluster beams;

loading a substrate to be processed into the GCIB processing system;

sequentially first, irradiating at least one region on the substrate with a first GCIB formed using a first subset of nozzles in the set of at least two nozzles; and

sequentially second, irradiating at least one region on the substrate with a second GCIB formed using a second subset of nozzles in the set of at least two nozzles, being different than the first subset of nozzles.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the sequentially second irradiating partially overlaps the sequentially first irradiating.