Grid assembly and ion beam etching apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11508545-B2
Application number	US-201514741902-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2015
Priority date	Dec 19, 2012
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

An object of the invention is to provide a grid assembly which is easy to assemble and is high in assembly reproducibility, and an ion beam etching apparatus including it. A grid assembly is constructed of three grids each in the shape of a circular plate, which are stacked one on top of another. The grid assembly includes three fixing holes for fixing the three grids, and three positioning holes for positioning the three grids. In assembly, the three grids are stacked one on top of another on a first ring so that positioning pins provided on the first ring are inserted into the positioning holes. Then, a second ring is stacked on top of the three grids, and bolts are inserted into the fixing holes. Thus, positioning is performed by using the fixed positioning pins and thereafter the fixing can be performed, which facilitates the assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A grid assembly comprising:
two or more grids stacked one on top of another, each grid having three positioning holes and a first fixing hole, the three positioning holes being disposed at equal intervals along a circumference of a predetermined imaginary circle on a surface of each grid;
a fixing member having three protrusion pins and a second fixing hole, the three protrusion pins being configured to pass through the positioning holes of the two or more grids stacked one on top of another; and
a passing-through member configured to fix together the two or more stacked grids and the fixing member by passing through the first fixing hole of each of the two or more stacked grids and the second fixing hole,
wherein each of the positioning holes has a predetermined width along a first direction on the surface of each grid and has a length greater than the predetermined width, along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction on the surface of each grid,
wherein, under a condition of fixing together the two or more stacked grids and the fixing member, first positioning holes of one of the two or more stacked grids overlap with corresponding second positioning holes of another of the two or more stacked grids,
wherein the three protrusion pins pass through all of the first positioning holes and all of the second positioning holes,
wherein the three protrusion pins are fixed to the fixing member,
wherein the passing-through member passes through the first fixing hole of each of the two or more stacked grids and the second fixing hole, and
wherein the two or more stacked grids are not mounted on the protrusion pins.

2. The grid assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusion pins pass through two or more grids stacked one on top of another.

3. The grid assembly according to claim 1 , wherein an angle formed by the first direction and a direction of connection of a center of each of the positioning holes to a center of the predetermined imaginary circle is a predetermined angle which is greater than 0° and is equal to or less than 90°.

4. The grid assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusion pins are configured so that the protrusion pins cannot move in a first direction on the surface of each grid with respect to each of the positioning holes and can slide along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction on the surface of each grid.

5. The grid assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the passing-through member includes a spring configured to apply a force to the two or more stacked grids in a thickness direction.

6. The grid assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each grid further comprises a plurality of ion passage holes, and
wherein in a state where the two or more stacked grids and the fixing member are fixed together, each of the plurality of ion passage holes of one of the two or more stacked grids overlaps each of the plurality of ion passage holes of another one of the two or more stacked grids.

7. The grid assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the fixing member is a ring-shaped member and is configured to overlap each grid in an outer peripheral portion of the plurality of ion passage holes of each grid.

8. An ion beam etching apparatus comprising:
a plasma generation chamber;
an RF antenna for generating plasma in the plasma generation chamber;
a process chamber linked to the plasma generation chamber;
the grid assembly according to claim 1 , for extracting ions from the plasma, from the plasma generation chamber to the process chamber; and
a substrate holder provided in the process chamber and capable of holding a substrate, the substrate holder being disposed so that the ions extracted from the grid assembly are incident on the substrate holder.

9. A grid assembly comprising:
two or more grids stacked one on top of another, each grid having three positioning holes and a first fixing hole, the three positioning holes being disposed at equal intervals along a circumference of a predetermined imaginary circle on a surface of each grid;
a fixing member having three protrusion portions and a second fixing hole, the three protrusion portions being configured to pass through the positioning holes of the two or more grids stacked one on top of another; and
a passing-through member configured to fix together the two or more stacked grids and the fixing member by passing through the first fixing hole of each of the two or more stacked grids and the second fixing hole,
wherein each of the positioning holes has a predetermined width along a first direction on the surface of each grid and has a length greater than the predetermined width, along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction on the surface of each grid,
wherein, under a condition of fixing together the two or more stacked grids and the fixing member, first positioning holes of one of the two or more stacked grids overlap with corresponding second positioning holes of another of the two or more stacked grids,
wherein the three protrusion portions pass through all of the first positioning holes and all of the second positioning holes,
wherein the three protrusion portions are fixed to the fixing member,
wherein the passing-through member passes through the first fixing hole of each of the two or more stacked grids and the second fixing hole, and
wherein the two or more stacked grids have the same number of positioning holes.

Assignees

• Canon Anelva Corp

Inventors

• Tsujiyama Masashi
• Yasumatsu Yasushi
• Motochi Kaori

Classifications

• H01J2237/334

  Etching · CPC title

• H01J27/024 Primary

  Extraction optics, e.g. grids · CPC title

• H01J37/32357

  Generation remote from the workpiece, e.g. down-stream · CPC title

• H01J37/147 Primary

  Arrangements for directing or deflecting the discharge along a desired path ({H01J37/045 take precedence;} lenses H01J37/10) · CPC title

• H01J27/16

  using high-frequency excitation, e.g. microwave excitation · CPC title