Techniques for providing a ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam

1. An apparatus for providing a ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam, the apparatus comprising:

an array of nozzles configured to inject a source gas at a sufficient speed into a low-pressure vacuum space to form gas clusters in a ribbon-shaped jet;

at least one ionizer that causes at least a portion of the gas clusters to be ionized; and

a beam-shaping mechanism that forms a ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam based on the ionized gas clusters.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one ionizer causes at least a portion of the ribbon-shaped jet to be ionized, thereby forming a static ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam; and

the beam-shaping mechanism coordinates the formation of the gas clusters by the array of nozzles to shape the static ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one ionizer comprises one or more plasma flood guns.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one skimmer that removes from the gas clusters uncondensed particles of the injected source gas.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of electrodes that focuses the ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of electrodes that accelerate the ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam to a desired energy.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a mass analyzer that removes undesired particles from the ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

one or more neutralizers that offset charge buildup on a target wafer.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam is at least as wide as a target wafer.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:

an end station that houses the target wafer, wherein the end station is adapted to scan the target wafer across the ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam in a single-dimensional movement.

11. A method for providing a ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam, the method comprising the steps of:

injecting, through an array of nozzles, a source gas at a sufficient speed into a low-pressure vacuum space to form gas clusters in a ribbon-shaped jet;

causing at least a portion of the gas clusters to be ionized; and

forming a ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam based on the ionized gas clusters.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

causing at least a portion of the ribbon-shaped jet to be ionized, thereby forming a static ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam; and

coordinating the formation of the gas clusters by the array of nozzles to shape the static ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam.

13. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

removing from the gas clusters uncondensed particles of the injected source gas.

14. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

focusing the ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam with a plurality of electrodes.

15. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

accelerating the ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam to a desired energy with a plurality of electrodes.

16. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

removing undesired particles from the ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam with a mass analyzer.

17. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

offsetting charge buildup on a target wafer with one or more neutralizers.

18. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam is at least as wide as a target wafer.

19. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising:

scanning the target wafer across the ribbon-shaped gas cluster ion beam in a single-dimensional movement.