Modulation of rolling k vectors of angled gratings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12106935-B2
Application number	US-202318139184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2023
Priority date	Dec 17, 2018
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatus for forming gratings having a plurality of fins with different slant angles on a substrate and forming fins with different slant angles on successive substrates using angled etch systems and/or an optical device. The methods include positioning portions of substrates retained on a platen in a path of an ion beam. The substrates have a grating material disposed thereon. The ion beam is configured to contact the grating material at an ion beam angle ϑ relative to a surface normal of the substrates and form gratings in the grating material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
forming a plurality of grating regions in a substrate, comprising, for each grating region:
positioning a first portion of a grating region in a path of an ion beam;
projecting the ion beam at a first beam angle α to form one or more first fins having a first slant angle;
positioning a second portion of the grating region in the path of the ion beam;
projecting the ion beam at a second beam angle α to form one or more second fins having a second slant angle;
positioning a third portion of the grating region in the path of the ion beam; and
projecting the ion beam at a third beam angle α to form one or more third fins having a third slant angle, wherein, in a first grating region included in the plurality of grating regions, the first fins, the second fins, and the third fins extend along a first major axis having a first orientation, and, in a second grating region included in the plurality of grating regions, the first fins, the second fins, and the third fins extend along a second major axis having a second orientation that is different than the first orientation.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising bending the ion beam relative to a platen having the substrate disposed thereon.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein projecting the ion beam at a different beam angle comprises moving one or more pairs of electrodes relative to the ion beam.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more pairs of electrodes comprises:
a plurality of entrance electrodes;
a plurality of suppression electrodes positioned downstream of the entrance electrodes; and
a plurality of exit electrodes positioned downstream of the suppression electrodes.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more pairs of electrodes are disposed in a housing kept at a high-vacuum environment.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ion beam is produced by an ion beam source having a plurality of electrodes positioned along a beam path of the ion beam, and wherein the first beam angle α, the second beam angle α, and the third beam angle α are provided by varying voltages to the electrodes.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ion beam is produced by an ion beam source having a plurality of electrodes positioned along a beam path of the ion beam, the plurality of electrodes are connected to a plurality of actuators, and wherein the first beam angle α, the second beam angle α, and the third beam angle α are provided by moving the electrodes into different positions with the actuators.

8. A method, comprising:
disposing a substrate on a platen; and
forming a plurality of grating regions in the substrate, comprising, for each grating region:
positioning the platen so a first portion of a grating region of the substrate is in a path of an ion beam, the substrate having a grating material disposed thereon;
projecting the ion beam at a first beam angle α;
forming the first portion of a grating with one or more first fins having a first slant angle in the grating material;
positioning the platen so a second portion of the grating region is in the path of the ion beam;
projecting the ion beam at a second beam angle α;
forming the second portion of the grating with one or more second fins having a second slant angle in the grating material;
positioning the platen so a third portion of the grating region is in the path of the ion beam;
projecting the ion beam at a third beam angle α; and

forming the third portion of the grating with one or more third fins having a third slant angle in the grating material, wherein, in a first grating region included in the plurality of grating regions, the first fins, the second fins, and the third fins extend along a first major axis having a first orientation, and, in a second grating region included in the plurality of grating regions, the first fins, the second fins, and the third fins extend along a second major axis having a second orientation that is different than the first orientation.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein forming the one or more first fins, the one or more second fins, and the third fins comprises moving the platen along an x-axis thereof.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising bending the ion beam relative to the platen.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein projecting the ion beam at a different beam angle comprises moving one or more pairs of electrodes relative to the ion beam.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more pairs of electrodes comprises:
a plurality of entrance electrodes;
a plurality of suppression electrodes positioned downstream of the entrance electrodes; and
a plurality of exit electrodes positioned downstream of the suppression electrodes.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more pairs of electrodes are disposed in a housing kept at a high-vacuum environment.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the ion beam is produced by an ion beam source having a plurality of electrodes positioned along a beam path of the ion beam, and wherein the first beam angle α the second beam angle α, and the third beam angle α are provided by varying voltages to electrodes.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the ion beam is produced by an ion beam source having a plurality of electrodes positioned along a beam path of the ion beam, the plurality of electrodes are connected to a plurality of actuators, and wherein the first beam angle α, the second beam angle α, and the third beam angle α are provided by moving the electrodes into different positions with the actuators.

16. A method, comprising:
forming a plurality of grating regions in a substrate, comprising, for each grating region:
positioning a first portion of a grating region of the substrate in a path of an ion beam, the substrate having a grating material disposed thereon;
projecting the ion beam at a first beam angle α;
forming the first portion of a grating with one or more first fins having a first slant angle in the grating material;
positioning a second portion of the grating region in the path of the ion beam;
projecting the ion beam at a second beam angle α;
forming the second portion of the grating with one or more second fins having a second slant angle in the grating material;
positioning a third portion of the grating region is in the path of the ion beam;
projecting the ion beam at a third beam angle α; and

forming the third portion of the grating with one or more third fins having a third slant angle in the grating material, wherein, in a first grating region included in the plurality of grating regions, the first fins, the second fins, and the third fins extend along a first major axis having a first orientation, and, in a second grating region included in the plurality of grating regions, the first fins, the second fins, and the third fins extend along a second major axis having a second orientation that is different than the first orientation.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein projecting the ion beam at a different beam angle comprises moving one or more pairs of electrodes relative to the ion beam.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the one or more pairs of electrodes comprises:
a plurality of entrance electrodes;
a plurality of suppression electrodes positioned downstream of the entrance electrodes; and
a plurality of exit electrodes positioned downstream of the suppression electrodes.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the ion beam is produced by an ion beam source having a plurality of electrodes positioned a

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Olson Joseph C
• Evans Morgan
• Meyer Timmerman Thijssen Rutger

Classifications

• H01J2237/3151

  Etching · CPC title

• G02B5/1861 Primary

  Reflection gratings characterised by their structure, e.g. step profile, contours of substrate or grooves, pitch variations, materials (G02B5/1809, G02B5/1828, G02B5/1833, G02B5/1838 and G02B5/1847 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B5/1847

  Manufacturing methods · CPC title

• H01J37/3056

  for microworking, e. g. etching of gratings or trimming of electrical components · CPC title

• H01J37/1472

  Deflecting along given lines · CPC title