Techniques for forming angled structures

1. A method of forming angled structures in a substrate, comprising:

forming a first etch mask by etching angled mask features in a first etch mask layer, disposed on a substrate base of the substrate, the angled mask features having sidewalls, oriented at a non-zero angle of inclination with respect to perpendicular to a main surface of the substrate, wherein the first etch mask layer comprises a first hard mask material, the first hard mask material comprising an oxide or a nitride;

etching the substrate with the first etch mask in place, the etching comprising directing ions having trajectories arranged at a non-zero angle of incidence with respect to a perpendicular to the main surface; and

removing the first etch mask after the etching the substrate,

wherein the forming the first etch mask comprises:

depositing a second etch mask layer on the first etch mask layer before the etching the angled mask features, wherein the second etch mask layer comprises a second hard mask material, different from the first hard mask material;

etching the second etch mask layer with a patterning layer in place to form an array of patterning features in the second etch mask layer, having sidewalls oriented along the perpendicular to the main surface;

removing the patterning layer; and

directing angled etching ions to openings in the second etch mask layer, wherein the angled mask features are formed in the first etch mask layer, using an ion beam having a rectangular cross-section that is wider than the substrate, wherein the second etch mask layer is removed before the etching the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the angled mask features in the first etch mask layer define a first spacing, between adjacent features of the angled mask features, and wherein the angled structures define a width of a trench, between adjacent structures of the angled structures, the width being equal to the first spacing.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-zero angle of incidence is parallel to the non-zero angle of inclination, wherein the angled structures comprise angled sidewalls, parallel to a set of sidewalls of the angled mask features of the mask layer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the etching the substrate comprises directing reactive angled ions in a reactive ion etch to the substrate, wherein the substrate is selectively etched with respect to the first etch mask layer.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the etching the substrate comprises directing angled ions to sputter etch the substrate, in a non-reactive etching environment.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the angled mask features are elongated to extend along a first direction, within the main surface of the substrate, and wherein the etching the substrate comprises directionally etching the substrate through the mask layer using an angled ion beam, wherein the angled ion beam comprises a ribbon beam, the ribbon beam having a long axis extending parallel to the first direction.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-zero angle of incidence comprises a value between 5 degrees and 75 degrees.

8. A method of forming an optical grating, comprising:

providing a substrate, the substrate comprising a grating layer;

depositing a first etch mask layer comprising a first hard mask material on the substrate, the first hard mask material comprising an oxide or a nitride;

forming a first etch mask by etching angled mask features in the first etch mask layer, the angled mask features having sidewalls, oriented at a non-zero angle of inclination with respect to perpendicular to a main surface of the substrate; and

etching the grating layer with the first etch mask in place, the etching comprising directing ions having trajectories arranged at a non-zero angle of incidence with respect to a perpendicular to the main surface, and parallel to the non-zero angle of inclination; and

removing the first etch mask after the etching the substrate,

wherein the forming the first etch mask comprises:

depositing a second etch mask layer on the first etch mask layer before the etching the angled mask features, wherein the second etch mask layer comprises a second hard mask material, different from the first hard mask material;

etching the second etch mask layer with a patterning layer in place to form an array of patterning features in the second etch mask layer, having sidewalls oriented along the perpendicular to the main surface;

removing the patterning layer; and

directing angled etching ions to openings in the second etch mask layer, wherein the angled mask features are formed in the first etch mask layer, using an ion beam having a rectangular cross-section that is wider than the substrate, wherein the second etch mask layer is removed before the etching the substrate.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the etching the grating layer generates a plurality of angled structures having angled sidewalls, the angled sidewalls being parallel to a set of sidewalls of the angled mask features of the first etch mask layer.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the etching the substrate comprises directing reactive angled ions in a reactive ion etch to the substrate, wherein the substrate is selectively etched with respect to the first etch mask layer.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the etching the substrate comprises directing angled ions to sputter etch the substrate, in a non-reactive etching environment.

12. A method of forming angled structures in a substrate, comprising:

providing a substrate;

depositing a first etch mask layer comprising a first hard mask material on the substrate, the first hard mask material comprising silicon nitride, titanium nitride, or an oxide;

depositing a second etch mask layer comprising a second hard mask material, different from the first hard mask material on an outer surface of the first etch mask layer;

etching the second etch mask layer with a patterning layer in place to form an array of patterning features in the second etch mask layer, having sidewalls oriented along the perpendicular to the main surface;

removing the patterning layer;

etching angled mask features in the first etch mask layer, with the second etch mask layer in place;

removing the second etch mask layer from the outer surf ace of the first etch mask layer; and

after the removing the second etch mask layer, etching the substrate with the first etch mask in place, the etching comprising directing ions having trajectories arranged at a non-zero angle of incidence with respect to a perpendicular to a main surface of the substrate, using an ion beam having a rectangular cross-section that is wider than the substrate, wherein the second etch mask layer is removed before the etching the substrate.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the etching the substrate generates angled sidewalls of the angled structures, the angled sidewalls being parallel to a set of sidewalls of the angled mask features of the first etch mask layer.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the etching the substrate comprises directing reactive angled ions in a reactive ion etch to the substrate, wherein the substrate is selectively etched with respect to the first etch mask layer.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the angled mask features are elongated to extend along a first direction, within the main surface of the substrate, and wherein the etching the substrate comprises directionally etching the substrate through the first etch mask layer using an angled ion beam, wherein the angled ion beam comprises a ribbon beam, the ribbon beam having a long axis extending parallel to the first direction.