Pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer

Abstract

The pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module includes an internal pre-aligned nozzle assembly and internal pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly to more accurately control the formation of the Gas Cluster Ion Beam (GCIB). The nozzle/skimmer module can be pre-aligned to more accurately position the GCIB. The pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module more accurately controls the formation of the gas clusters of a pre-aligned Gas Cluster Ion Beam (GCIB).

1 . A pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module comprising:
 a support tube having a substantially closed cylindrical portion and a substantially open conical portion coupled to the substantially closed cylindrical portion, the support tube defining a partially-open process space;   a first pre-aligned cylindrical subassembly removably coupled to the substantially closed cylindrical portion of the support tube using one or more first fastening devices;   a second pre-aligned cylindrical subassembly removably coupled to the first pre-aligned cylindrical subassembly using one or more second fastening devices;   a pre-aligned cylindrical mixing space configured in the first pre-aligned cylindrical subassembly and/or the second pre-aligned cylindrical subassembly;   a pre-aligned nozzle assembly coupled to the first pre-aligned cylindrical subassembly and the pre-aligned cylindrical mixing space, wherein the pre-aligned nozzle assembly is configured to emit a pre-aligned internal beam of gas clusters into the partially-open process space;   a pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly removably coupled to the substantially open conical portion of the support tube using one or more second fastening devices, wherein the pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly is configured and aligned to receive the pre-aligned internal beam and to skim and emit a pre-aligned external beam of gas clusters to a processing space positioned externally of the nozzle/skimmer module; and   a gas feed tube assembly coupled to the second pre-aligned cylindrical subassembly and the pre-aligned cylindrical mixing space for feeding gas to the pre-aligned nozzle assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module has an overall length (OL) varying from approximately 18 cm to approximately 28 cm. 
     
     
         3 . The pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly comprises an inner skimmer element in the partially-open process space extending from a skimmer input aperture outwardly to an internal wall of the pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly, and having a length (l 0 ) between the skimmer input aperture and the internal wall that varies from approximately 20 mm to approximately 40 mm and an angle (a 0 ) from the internal wall that varies from approximately 100 degrees to approximately 175 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly comprises a first outer shaping element extending from a skimmer input aperture in the partially-open process space outwardly to a first circular opening adjacent an external wall of the pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly and having a length (ls 1 ) from the skimmer input aperture to the first circular opening that varies from approximately 20 mm to approximately 40 mm and an angle (as 1 ) from a plane of the skimmer input aperture to a surface of the first outer shaping element that varies from approximately 95 degrees to approximately 135 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module of  claim 4 , wherein the pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly comprises a second outer shaping element extending from the first circular opening to a second circular opening intersecting the external wall of the pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly and having a length (ls 2 ) from the first circular opening to the second circular opening that varies from approximately 5 mm to approximately 15 mm and an angle (as 2 ) from a plane of the first circular opening to a surface of the second outer shaping element that varies from approximately 135 degrees to approximately 175 degrees, wherein together the first outer shaping element and the second outer shaping element are configured to emit the pre-aligned external beam of gas cluster ions to the processing space positioned externally of the nozzle/skimmer module. 
     
     
         6 . The pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module of  claim 5 , wherein the first circular opening has a first diameter (ds 1 ) varying from approximately 0.5 mm to approximately 10 mm, and the second circular opening has a second diameter (ds 2 ) varying from approximately 1 mm to approximately 20 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-aligned nozzle assembly has a nozzle output aperture in the partially-open process space having a diameter (d n ) that varies from approximately 2 mm to approximately 4 mm, a nozzle length (l n ) from the pre-aligned cylindrical mixing space to the nozzle output aperture that varies from approximately 20 mm to approximately 40 mm, and a nozzle angle (a n ) from a centerline of the nozzle output aperture to an internal surface of the pre-aligned nozzle assembly that varies from approximately 1 degree to approximately 30 degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly comprises a skimmer input aperture in the partially-open process space for receiving the pre-aligned internal beam having a skimmer diameter (ds 0 ) that varies from approximately 0.1 mm to approximately 10 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module of  claim 1 , wherein a first separation distance (s 1 ) is established between an output of the pre-aligned nozzle assembly and an input of the pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly, and the first separation distance (s 1 ) varies from approximately 10 mm to approximately 50 mm. 
     
     
         10 . The pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-aligned cylindrical mixing space has a thickness (t 3 ) from the coupling with the gas feed tube assembly to the coupling with the pre-aligned nozzle assembly varying from approximately 2 mm to approximately 5 mm and a diameter (d 3 ) varying from approximately 15 mm to approximately 25 mm. 
     
     
         11 . A gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) processing system comprising:
 a source subsystem having a source chamber;   an ionization/acceleration subsystem having an ionization/acceleration chamber, wherein the ionization/acceleration subsystem is coupled to the source subsystem;   a processing subsystem having a processing chamber, wherein the processing subsystem is coupled to the ionization/acceleration subsystem, the processing chamber including a workpiece holder configured to hold a workpiece; and   a pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module, the pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module being coupled to an interior wall of the source chamber, wherein the pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module is configured to provide a pre-aligned external beam comprising gas clusters into the ionization/acceleration chamber.   
     
     
         12 . The (GCIB) processing system of  claim 11 , wherein the pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module comprises:
 a support tube having a substantially closed cylindrical portion and a substantially open conical portion coupled to the substantially closed cylindrical portion, the support tube defining a partially-open process space;   a first pre-aligned cylindrical subassembly removably coupled to the substantially closed cylindrical portion of the support tube using two or more first mounting holes and two or more first fastening devices;   a second pre-aligned cylindrical subassembly removably coupled to the first pre-aligned cylindrical subassembly using one or more third mounting holes and one or more third fastening devices;   a pre-aligned cylindrical mixing space configured in the first pre-aligned cylindrical subassembly and/or the second pre-aligned cylindrical subassembly;   a pre-aligned nozzle assembly coupled to the first pre-aligned cylindrical subassembly and the pre-aligned cylindrical mixing space, wherein the pre-aligned nozzle assembly is configured to emit a pre-aligned internal beam of gas clusters into the partially-open process space;   a pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly removably coupled to the substantially open conical portion of the support tube using two or more second mounting holes and two or more second fastening devices, wherein the pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly is configured and aligned to receive the pre-aligned internal beam and to skim and emit the pre-aligned external beam into the ionization/acceleration chamber, the pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly coupling the pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module to the interior wall of the source chamber adjacent the ionization/acceleration chamber using two or more fourth mounting holes and two or more fourth fastening devices;   a gas feed tube assembly coupled to the second pre-aligned cylindrical subassembly and the pre-aligned cylindrical mixing space; and   a gas input supply assembly coupled to the gas feed tube assembly and coupled to a gas supply subassembly for feeding gas to the pre-aligned nozzle assembly to create the gas clusters.   
     
     
         13 . The (GCIB) processing system of  claim 11 , further comprising a first gas supply subsystem coupled to the pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module, wherein a first gas composition is stored in the first gas supply subsystem and the first gas composition can include He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, or Rn, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The (GCIB) processing system of  claim 13 , further comprising a second gas supply subsystem coupled to the pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module, wherein a second gas composition is stored in the second gas supply subsystem and the second gas composition can comprise a film forming gas composition, an etching gas composition, a cleaning gas composition, or a smoothing gas composition, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The (GCIB) processing system of  claim 11 , further comprising a first pumping subsystem coupled to the source chamber, the first pumping subsystem configured to control a pressure in the pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module. 
     
     
         16 . The (GCIB) processing system of  claim 11 , wherein the pre-aligned nozzle/skimmer module has an overall length (OL) varying from approximately 18 cm to approximately 28 cm. 
     
     
         17 . The (GCIB) processing system of  claim 12 , wherein the pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly comprises:
 an inner skimmer element in the partially-open process space extending from a skimmer input aperture outwardly to an internal wall of the pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly, and having a length (l 0 ) between the skimmer input aperture and the internal wall that varies from approximately 20 mm to approximately 40 mm and an angle (a 0 ) from the internal wall that varies from approximately 100 degrees to approximately 175 degrees;   a first outer shaping element extending from the skimmer input aperture in the partially-open process space outwardly to a first circular opening adjacent an external wall of the pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly, and having a first length (ls 1 ) from the skimmer input aperture to the first circular opening that varies from approximately 20 mm to approximately 40 mm and a first angle (as 1 ) from a plane of the skimmer input aperture to a surface of the first outer shaping element that varies from approximately 95 degrees to approximately 135 degrees; and   a second outer shaping element extending from the first circular opening to a second circular opening intersecting the external wall of the pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly and having a second length (ls 2 ) from the first circular opening to the second circular opening that varies from approximately 5 mm to approximately 15 mm and a second angle (as 2 ) from a plane of the first circular opening to a surface of the second outer shaping element that varies from approximately 135 degrees to approximately 175 degrees, wherein the first outer shaping element has a first diameter (ds 1 ) varying from approximately 0.5 mm to approximately 10 mm, and the second outer shaping element has a second diameter (ds 2 ) varying from approximately 1 mm to approximately 20 mm.   
     
     
         18 . The (GCIB) processing system of  claim 12 , wherein the pre-aligned nozzle assembly has a nozzle output aperture in the partially-open process space having a diameter (d n ) that varies from approximately 2 mm to approximately 4 mm, a nozzle length (l n ) from the pre-aligned cylindrical mixing space to the nozzle output aperture that varies from approximately 20 mm to approximately 40 mm, and a nozzle angle (a n ) from a centerline of the nozzle output aperture to an internal surface of the pre-aligned nozzle assembly that varies from approximately 1 degree to approximately 30 degrees. 
     
     
         19 . The (GCIB) processing system of  claim 12 , wherein the pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly comprises a skimmer input aperture in the partially-open process space for receiving the pre-aligned internal beam having a skimmer diameter (ds 0 ) that varies from approximately 0.1 mm to approximately 10 mm. 
     
     
         20 . The (GCIB) processing system of  claim 12 , wherein a first separation distance (s 1 ) is established between an output of the pre-aligned nozzle assembly and an input of the pre-aligned skimmer cartridge assembly, and the first separation distance (s 1 ) varies from approximately 10 mm to approximately 50 mm.