To provide an ion beam etching method which enables a highly uniform IBE process even under a low-angle-incident static condition, without increase in the size of an apparatus. The ion beam etching method includes: changing a position of an opening portion with respect to a substrate; etching the substrate with an ion beam passing through the opening portion; and reducing a tilt angle as a center of a site where the ion beam is incident on the substrate moves away from the ion source.

The present invention relates to a slit diaphragm, a slit diaphragm system comprising at least two slit diaphragms arranged adjacent to each other and to a coating module and coating facility comprising a slit diaphragm.

Apparatus and methods for the selective implanting of the outer portion of a workpiece are disclosed. A mask is disposed between the ion beam and the workpiece, having an aperture through which the ion beam passes. The aperture may have a concave first edge, forming using a radius equal to the inner radius of the outer portion of the workpiece. Further, the mask is affixed to a roplat such that the platen is free to rotate between a load/unload position and an operational position without moving the mask. In certain embodiments, the mask is affixed to the base of the roplat and has a first portion with an aperture that extends vertically upward from the base, and a second portion that is shaped so as not to interfere with the rotation of the platen. In other embodiments, the mask may be affixed to the arms of the roplat.

A beam current adjuster for an ion implanter includes a variable aperture device which is disposed at an ion beam focus point or a vicinity thereof. The variable aperture device is configured to adjust an ion beam width in a direction perpendicular to an ion beam focusing direction at the focus point in order to control an implanting beam current. The variable aperture device may be disposed immediately downstream of a mass analysis slit. The beam current adjuster may be provided with a high energy ion implanter including a high energy multistage linear acceleration unit.

The present disclosure relates to a collimator. The collimator may include a motor, a transmission unit having a first end and a second end, and a leaf unit having a leaf. The first end of the transmission unit may be connected to the motor and the second end of the transmission unit may be connected to the leaf. The present disclosure also relates to a collimator system. The collimator system may include a leaf module having a leaf, a driving module having a motor configured to drive the leaf, and a processing module to generate a movement profile of the leaf. The movement profile of the leaf may include a first speed during a first stage, a second speed of the leaf during a second stage, and a third speed of the leaf during a third stage.

A charged particle beam pattern forming device is described, a charged particle beam passing through a third aperture for forming a charged particle beam pattern, the charged particle beam pattern forming device including: a first element including a first aperture, a second element including a second aperture, the second aperture overlapping the first aperture, wherein the third aperture is defined by an overlap of the first aperture and the second aperture, and a shape of the third aperture is capable of being changed by a driver such that the first element is moved in a first direction and the second element is moved in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

A focused ion beam lens column (17) of this charged particle beam device includes an ion source (41) and an ion optics (42). The ion optics (42) includes a diaphragm member (54b) provided with a plurality of through-holes that are switched in order to cause a portion of a beam of the ions (an ion beam) generated by the ion source (41) to pass therethrough. Switching is performed to select any of the plurality of through-holes while the optical conditions of the ion optics (42) are maintained in a predetermined projection mode (second projection mode). The plurality of through-holes includes fine round holes for observation that are positioned in the center of the ion beam, first rectangular holes for processing that are positioned off the center of the ion beam, and second rectangular holes for observation and processing that are positioned off the center of the ion beam.

A method of improving an SEM image includes (a) measuring a first SEM image, (b) determining a noise correlation length with respect to the first SEM image, (c) based on the noise correlation length being greater than 0, adjusting an aperture signal of an SEM equipment, and repeating (a), (b) and (c) until the noise correlation length is substantially 0.

An ion source is disclosed, in which the compression force applied to the faceplate on the two sides of the extraction aperture may be varied independently. Modifying the compression force between the faceplate and arc chamber can enable temperature control of the ion source by modifying the thermal contact resistance between the two components. This may allow more control of the temperature of the faceplate, and more specifically, the temperature profile across the entire faceplate due to precise control of the thermal contact gradient along the length of the faceplate. The ion implantation system includes two adjustable tension systems, each of which includes an actuator. A controller is used to provide a command signal to each adjustable tension system. In some embodiments, a feedback signal is generated by each adjustable tension system, which is representative of the torque or force experienced by the actuator.

Systems and methods for implementing charged particle flooding in a charged particle beam apparatus are disclosed. According to certain embodiments, a charged particle beam system includes a charged particle source and a controller which controls the charged particle beam system to emit a charged particle beam in a first mode where the beam is defocused and a second mode where the beam is focused on a surface of a sample.