Advancement of Gas Cluster Ion Beam Processes for Chemically Enhanced Surface Modification and Etching

Gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) shows unique irradiation effects such as surface smoothing, surface analysis, shallow implantation, surface smoothing, and thin film formations. Upon GCIB impact, dense energy is deposited on surface layer while energy/atom of GCIB is low. One of the unique characteristics of GCIB is the enhancement of chemical reactions without heating the substrates. When reactive GCIBs are used, high-rate etching of various materials is expected. Not only reactions between molecules in the cluster and target atoms, but also chemical reactions between target atoms and the adsorbed gas on target are enhanced. In this paper, advancement of GCIB process by chemically enhanced surface modification and etching is reported.