Particle transfer apparatus and method

Abstract

A particle transfer system includes: a particle capture device configured to capture a plurality of particles; and a particle transport structure configured to transport the particles from the particle capture device in parallel to a substrate. In one aspect, the particle transfer system is included in a pattern forming system for generating a pattern on a substrate.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to EP application 22202853.2, filed on October 20, 2022, and the entire content of the EP application is incorporated herein by reference into the present invention. Technical field

[0003] This specification relates to methods and apparatus for applying particles to a substrate, for example, during device manufacturing processes. Background art

[0004] A patterning device (such as an optical lithography device) is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a substrate (typically onto a target portion of the substrate). The patterning device can be used, for example, in the manufacture of devices such as integrated circuits (ICs). In such a case, the patterning device can be used to generate a device pattern to be formed on a single layer of the device. The pattern can be transferred onto a target portion (such as including one or more dies, or a portion of a die) on a substrate (such as a silicon wafer). The transfer of the pattern often occurs via imaging onto a layer of radiation - sensitive material (resist) provided on the substrate. Generally, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively patterned. Known patterning devices include: so - called steppers, in which each target portion is patterned using an entire pattern transferred onto the target portion at once; and so - called scanners, in which each target portion is patterned by scanning the pattern in a given direction (the "scan" direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti - parallel to that direction. It is also possible to transfer the pattern from the patterning device to the substrate by imprinting the pattern onto the substrate. Summary of the invention

[0005] It is desirable, for example, to improve patterning devices, related manufacturing equipment, and methods of manufacturing devices.

[0006] In one aspect, there is provided a particle transfer system, comprising:

[0007] a particle capture device configured to capture a plurality of particles; and

[0008] a particle delivery structure configured to deliver the particles from the particle capture device to the substrate in parallel.

[0009] In one aspect, there is provided a patterning system for generating a pattern on a substrate, the system comprising:

[0010] a particle capture device configured to capture a plurality of particles in a spatial arrangement; and

[0011] A particle delivery structure configured to deliver the particles from the particle capture device to the substrate in a pattern.

[0012] In one aspect, there is provided a particle transfer system comprising:

[0013] A particle source configured to provide particles;

[0014] A particle cooling device configured to cool the particles;

[0015] A particle capture device configured to irradiate a plurality of spatial positions to locally capture individual particles; and

[0016] A particle delivery device configured to deliver the charged particles to the substrate surface.

[0017] In one aspect, there is provided a particle transfer system comprising:

[0018] A particle source configured to provide particles;

[0019] A particle capture device configured to generate a plurality of electric fields, each electric field at a different spatial position and each electric field configured to locally capture individual particles;

[0020] A particle cooling device configured to cool the particles; and

[0021] A particle delivery device configured to deliver the charged particles to the substrate surface.

[0022] In one aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising program instructions operable to perform the methods described herein when run on a suitable device.

[0023] Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying specification drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein. These embodiments are presented herein for illustrative purposes only. Based on the teachings contained herein, additional embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying specification drawings, in which:

[0025] Figure 1 An embodiment of a production facility for forming a device is depicted;

[0026] Figure 2 Schematic system view depicting an embodiment of a particle transfer tool;

[0027] Figure 3A Exemplary embodiment of a highly schematic top view depicting an embodiment of a catcher arrangement of a particle transfer tool;

[0028] Figure 3B Highly schematic side view depicting an embodiment of a version of a magnetic optical trap (MOT) of a particle transfer tool;

[0029] Figure 4 Description of a highly schematic side view depicting an exemplary embodiment of an optical tweezer arrangement of a particle transfer tool;

[0030] Figure 5 Higher level breakdown of an embodiment of a particle transfer tool;

[0031] Figure 6 Highly schematic side view depicting an embodiment of a particle transfer tool;

[0032] Figure 7 Highly schematic side view depicting an embodiment of a particle transfer tool;

[0033] Figure 8 Schematic top view depicting an embodiment of a particle catcher of an exemplary particle capture device of a particle transfer tool;

[0034] Figure 9A Showing from Figure 8 Schematic top view of an embodiment of a single catcher;

[0035] Figure 9B Showing along line A - A Figure 9A Schematic side view of a catcher;

[0036] Figure 10 Schematic top view showing an embodiment of a particle cooling structure of a particle transfer tool;

[0037] Figure 11 Schematic top view showing an embodiment of a particle positioning structure of a particle transfer tool;

[0038] Figure 12 Exemplary simulation of the electric field of an embodiment of a catcher across the cross - sectional width of the catcher;

[0039] Figure 13 Showing Figure 12 Exemplary simulation of the ponderomotive potential of a part of the electric field;

[0040] Figure 14ASchematic side view showing an embodiment of a wire grid catcher array arrangement of a particle transfer tool;

[0041] Figure 14B Showing from Figure 14A Schematic top view of the electrode of;

[0042] Figure 14C Showing from Figure 14A Schematic top view of the electrode of;

[0043] Figure 14D Showing from Figure 14A Schematic top view of the electrode of;

[0044] Figure 15 Exemplary simulation of the electric field of an embodiment of a catcher across the cross-sectional width of the catcher;

[0045] Figure 16 Schematic top view depicting a part of a particle transfer device according to an embodiment;

[0046] Figure 17 Schematic top view depicting a part of a particle transfer device according to an embodiment;

[0047] Figure 18 Highly schematic top view depicting the arrangement of individually addressable elements 102 depicted with respect to a substrate W; and

[0048] Figure 19 Schematic top view illustrating how a pattern or other layout can be generated on a substrate. Detailed Description

[0049] Before describing embodiments of the present invention in detail, it is instructive to present an exemplary environment in which embodiments of the present invention can be implemented.

[0050] Figure 1 The device is shown at 200 as part of an industrial production facility implementing a high-volume manufacturing process. In this example, the manufacturing process is adapted for the manufacture of devices (such as semiconductor products, e.g., ICs) on a substrate 230 such as a semiconductor wafer W. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a wide variety of products can be manufactured by processing different types of substrates with variations of this process and equipment. The production of semiconductor products is presented purely as an example of great current commercial significance.

[0051] In this manufacturing process, one or more patterns are applied to a substrate to assist in forming, for example, a device. One such tool for applying the pattern is the patterning device 200. Inside the patterning device 200, a patterning station 204 is provided. Optionally, a measurement station 202 may be provided to assist throughput. A control unit 206 is also shown. In this example, each substrate accesses the measurement station and accesses the patterning station so that the pattern can be applied. For example, in an optical lithography patterning device, a projection system is used to transfer a product pattern onto a substrate using conditioned radiation and the projection system. This is done by forming an image of the pattern in a radiation-sensitive material layer. In an imprint patterning device, an imprint template is used to apply the pattern through physical contact between the template and the substrate.

[0052] Well-known operating modes of the patterning system include the step mode and the scan mode as described above. The step mode may also include multiple patterning of adjacent identical target portions or the overlapping application of identical or (usually) different patterns, and this operating mode may sometimes require stitching depending on the accuracy of pattern placement. It is well known that the patterning system can cooperate in various ways with the support and positioning system for the substrate and the device for applying the pattern to apply the desired pattern to many target portions 211 across the substrate W.

[0053] The control unit 206 controls all movements and measurements of various actuators and sensors to accommodate the substrate W and perform the patterning operation. The control unit 206 also includes signal processing and data processing capabilities for performing the desired calculations related to the operation of the device. In fact, the control unit 206 will be implemented as a system of many sub-units, each sub-unit handling real-time data acquisition, processing, and control of the sub-systems or components within the device.

[0054] Before applying a pattern to a substrate at a pattern formation station, the substrate is processed at a measurement station 202 so that various preparatory steps can be carried out. The preparatory steps can include mapping the surface height of the substrate using a level sensor and measuring the positions of alignment marks (such as marks P1, P2 and typically many such other marks (often in scribe lines but additionally or alternatively in target portions)) on the substrate using an alignment sensor. The alignment marks are nominally arranged in a regular grid pattern. However, due to inaccuracies in the production of the marks and also due to deformations occurring in the substrate throughout its processing, the marks deviate from the ideal grid. Therefore, in addition to measuring the position and orientation of the substrate, in cases where the device will form product features at the correct locations with very high accuracy, the alignment sensor must actually also measure in detail the positions of many marks across the substrate area. The device can be of a so-called dual-platform type having two substrate tables, each substrate table having a positioning system controlled by a control unit 206. While a substrate on one substrate table is being patterned at the pattern formation station 204, another substrate can be loaded onto the other substrate table at the measurement station 202 so that various preparatory steps can be carried out. Therefore, the measurement of the alignment marks is very time-consuming, and providing two substrate tables can significantly increase the throughput of the device. The pattern formation device 200 can be, for example, of a so-called dual-platform type, the so-called dual-platform type having two substrate tables and two stations (a pattern formation station and a measurement station) between which the substrate tables can be exchanged. Alternatively, the pattern formation device 200 can have a substrate table and another table for carrying out preparatory work (such as measurement), and the substrate table can be moved to and away from the pattern formation station, and similarly the other table can be moved to and away from the pattern formation station so that the substrate table and the other table can share the pattern formation station.

[0055] Within a production facility, the apparatus 200 forms part of a "lithography cell" or "lithography cluster" 201, which also includes a coating apparatus 208 for applying a layer (such as a photosensitive resist and / or other coating) to a substrate W for the apparatus 200 to form a pattern. At the output side of the apparatus 200, a baking apparatus 210 and / or a developing apparatus 212 may be provided for developing the formed pattern to a more fixed state. Between all these apparatuses, a substrate handling system is responsible for supporting the substrate and transferring the substrate from one apparatus to the next. These apparatuses, often collectively referred to as a track or a coat develop system, are under the control of a track or coat develop system control unit that is itself controlled by a management control system 209, which also provides information (such as for control, adjustment, etc.) 266 to the apparatus 200 and / or provides information (such as for control, adjustment, etc.) 266 to one or more other apparatuses (such as 222, 224, 226, 208, 210, 212, etc.) in the lithography cell via a control unit 206. Thus, different apparatuses can be operated to maximize throughput and processing efficiency. The management control system 209 receives option information R that provides in great detail the definition of the steps to be performed to produce each patterned substrate and / or receives information 252 (such as measurement information) from the apparatus 200 via the unit 206.

[0056] Once a pattern has been applied and developed in the lithography cell, the patterned substrate 220 is transferred to other processing apparatuses such as those illustrated at 222, 224, 226. A wide range of processing steps are implemented by various apparatuses in a typical manufacturing facility. For purposes of example, the apparatus 222 in this embodiment is an etch station, and the apparatus 224 performs deposition or implantation steps. Other physical and / or chemical processing steps are applied in other apparatuses 226, etc. Many types of operations may be required to fabricate a real device, such as deposition of materials, modification of surface material properties (oxidation, doping, ion implantation, etc.), chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), etc. In fact, the apparatus 226 may represent a series of different processing steps performed in one or more apparatuses. As another example, apparatuses and processing steps for implementing self-aligned multiple patterning may be provided to generate multiple smaller features based on a precursor pattern laid down by the apparatus 200.

[0057] As is well known, the fabrication of semiconductor devices involves many repetitions of such processing to build a device structure with appropriate materials and patterns layer by layer on a substrate. Thus, the substrate 230 arriving at the lithography cluster can be a newly prepared substrate, or the substrate 230 can be a substrate that has been previously processed in the cluster or completely in another device. Similarly, depending on the required processing, the substrate 232 leaving the device 226 can be returned for subsequent patterning operations in the same lithography cluster, the substrate 232 can be destined for patterning operations in a different cluster, or the substrate 232 can be a finished product to be sent for dicing and packaging.

[0058] Each layer of the product structure requires a different set of process steps, and the devices 226 used at each layer can be completely different in type. Additionally, even when the processing steps to be applied by the device 226 are nominally the same in a large facility, there can be several supposedly identical machines working in parallel to perform step 226 on different substrates. Minor differences or defects in the settings between these machines can mean that the differences or defects affect different substrates in different ways. Even for steps that are relatively common for each layer, such as etching (device 222), can still be implemented by several etching devices that are nominally the same but work in parallel to maximize throughput. Moreover, in practice, different layers require different etching processes depending on the details of the material to be etched, such as chemical etching, plasma etching, and require specific requirements, such as anisotropic etching for example.

[0059] The previous and / or subsequent processes can be performed in other patterning devices as just mentioned, and can even be performed in different types of patterning devices. For example, some layers in the device fabrication process that require very high parameters such as resolution and overlay accuracy can be performed in more advanced patterning tools compared to other layers with less stringent requirements. Thus, some layers can be exposed to immersion type lithography tools, while other layers are exposed to different patterning tools (e.g., "dry" tools). Some layers can be exposed to tools operating at DUV wavelengths, while other layers are exposed using EUV wavelength radiation.

[0060] To correctly and consistently pattern a substrate exposed by device 200, it is desirable to inspect the patterned substrate to measure properties such as overlay error between subsequent layers, line thickness, critical dimension (CD), etc. Thus, a manufacturing facility in which a lithography unit 201 is located also includes a metrology system 240 that receives some or all of the substrates 234 that have been processed in the lithography unit. Thus, to monitor the patterning process, one or more parameters of the patterned substrate are measured. The one or more parameters can include, for example, overlay error between successive layers formed in or on the patterned substrate, and / or critical linewidth (CD) of features formed on the substrate. This measurement can be performed on product substrates and / or on dedicated measurement targets. There are various techniques for making measurements of microstructures formed during the lithography process, including using scanning electron microscopes and various dedicated tools. A dedicated inspection tool in the form of a rapid and non-invasive manner is a scatterometer, in which a radiation beam is directed onto a target on the surface of the substrate, and the properties of the scattered or reflected beam are measured. Two main types of scatterometers are known. A spectroscopic scatterometer directs a broadband radiation beam onto the substrate and measures the spectrum (intensity as a function of wavelength) of the radiation scattered into a specific narrow angular range. An angular-resolved scatterometer uses a monochromatic radiation beam and measures the intensity of the scattered radiation as a function of angle.

[0061] The metrology results 242 are provided directly or indirectly to the management control system 209. If an error is detected, especially in cases where the measurement can be made quickly and rapidly enough such that substrates of the same batch are still pending patterning, then the patterning of one or more subsequent substrates (or further patterning of one or more measured substrates) can be adjusted. In addition, substrates that have already been patterned can have been stripped and reworked to improve yield or be discarded, thereby avoiding further processing of substrates known to be defective. In cases where only some target portions of the substrate are defective, further patterning can be performed only on those target portions that are good.

[0062] Traditionally, various familiar techniques such as optical lithography, imprint lithography, electron beam writing, etc. have been used to pattern a substrate to produce devices (such as ICs). Such techniques are typically performed via an intermediate resist layer. These resists typically include molecules (much larger than atoms) and thus cannot reach atomic resolution (<nm). In addition, even achieving resolution at the single molecule or a few molecule size is impossible or difficult given the constraints imposed by the techniques that can be applied, such as the wavelength of radiation in optical lithography, the size of the imprint features of the imprint template, the random nature of particle beam writing, etc.

[0063] Similarly, other technical parts of the patterning process (sputtering, evaporation, implantation, atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), etc.) are used to apply particles (such as atoms, molecules, etc.) to a substrate. However, these techniques typically apply to the entire substrate and often do not have any or much lateral resolution (certainly not atomic spatial resolution). For example, ion implantation typically has a large amount of diffusion and lacks spatial resolution, such as a diffusion of 30 nm or more in positioning or resolution due to scattering.

[0064] In other fields, arranging atoms or other particles on a substrate is within the scope of scanning probe techniques such as scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Here, a very sharp mechanical tip is used to pick up and place or move individual atoms on the surface of the substrate. These techniques are very slow. In addition, scanning probe techniques are difficult to scale up the area and throughput. For example, a large number of tips can be used to move atoms in parallel. However, this is cumbersome because many of the large number of tips need to be accurately controlled and the large number of tips need to be controlled individually or in small groups to achieve various patterns.

[0065] Therefore, there is a need for a particle transfer device and process capable of applying particles to a substrate with a resolution of, for example, 10 nm or less (such as feature pitch, feature size, or maximum distance from a design position), or 5 nm or less, or 1 nm or less, or 0.5 nm or less (or any other range selected from the range of 10 nm or less). Accordingly, a scalable system is provided herein to transfer individual particles (such as atoms and neutral or ionic) or clusters of particles to a substrate in the form of a pattern with, for example, the above-mentioned positioning accuracy (ideally, sub-nanometer (angstrom) positioning accuracy).

[0066] Possible applications of the system are diverse and can include:

[0067] - Depositing multiple individual particles or clusters of particles at the above resolution in, for example, any pattern. In principle, one can build devices thoroughly (including mixing various particles, such as atoms, molecules, etc.).

[0068] - Deterministically implanting particles at the above resolution in, for example, a pattern. For example, donors in CMOS, or defects for quantum computing (NV centers, etc.).

[0069] -Etch at the above resolution, e.g., in a pattern. For example, use chemical etching with a relatively low landing energy, where the particle(s) can chemically remove one or more particles at the location where the deposited particle(s) arrive. Alternatively or additionally, the particle(s) can be given sufficient kinetic energy such that the particle(s) sputter, causing one or more particles to leave the surface.

[0070] In an embodiment, to achieve this or other applications, a system is provided that uses cold particles and a particle trap in combination with a delivery mechanism (e.g., electron optics and / or charge) in its general form to deliver particles from the trap to a substrate.

[0071] In an embodiment, the system is configured to handle neutral particles such as atoms, clusters of atoms, or neutral molecules. In an embodiment, the neutral particles are trapped. In an embodiment, a cooling and trapping device is used to cool and contain the particles. The trapped particles are then delivered to the substrate. In an embodiment, the delivery includes applying a charge to the particles (e.g., ionization of the particles) and charged particle optics are used to deliver the ionized particles to the substrate. To achieve throughput and scale, a large number of traps are used and the particles can be effectively delivered in parallel from the traps to the substrate.

[0072] Reference Figure 2 , depicts a higher level of breakdown of an embodiment of system 300. Briefly, in the system, a trap (e.g., an atom trap) is used to cool (such that the particles have ultra-low energy spread) and localize the particles. This allows the particles to then be delivered (e.g., gently deposited) onto the substrate with higher accuracy using, for example, charged particle optics. Since the system operates at the particle level, the system (or at least the component that delivers the particles through the space between the physical tool and the substrate to the substrate) should operate at low pressure (most likely ultra-high vacuum) to avoid any collisions of the (to-be-delivered) particles with background gas particles.

[0073] A particle source 310 generates a particle stream or cloud. For example, the particle source 310 releases particles (e.g., atoms) from a solid or liquid into the particle stream or cloud or directly releases the particles from a gas reservoir. The source is typically used in thermal or electron beam evaporators and / or sputtering tools and a source designed for such applications can be configured for use in this system. In an embodiment, the particle source 310 is a single-atom source. At this stage, the temperature of the particles can be at or above room temperature (T > 300 K). The beam can be scanned across a particle cooling structure 320 (the particle cooling structure 320 can include multiple traps as described herein).

[0074] The particle output of the particle source 310 is received at the particle cooling structure 320. The particle cooling structure 320 sufficiently cools the received particle flux such that the particles can be trapped in a particle trap. In an embodiment, the temperature should be less than or equal to 1000 mK, less than or equal to 100 mK, less than or equal to 10 mK, or less than or equal to about 1 mK (or any other range selected from a range less than 1000 mK) in order for the particles to be properly trapped. Cooling can be performed in stages, such as cooling to one temperature and then cooling to another lower temperature. In an embodiment, the cooling in each stage can use different types of devices, multiple examples of the same type of device, different applications of cooling in the same device, or any combination selected from the foregoing. In an embodiment, the cooling can be performed by a laser cooling (Doppler cooling) device known in the art and configured or modified for use in the systems described herein. In an embodiment, the cooling can be performed by a Zeeman decelerator known in the art and configured or modified for use in the systems described herein. In an embodiment, the cooling can be performed by a Sisyphus cooling device known in the art and configured or modified for use in the systems described herein. In an embodiment, the cooling can be performed by a cavity cooling device known in the art and configured or modified for use in the systems described herein. In an embodiment, the cooling can be performed by an optical molasses cooling device known in the art and configured or modified for use in the systems described herein.

[0075] The cooled particles are then trapped by the particle trapping device 330 to localize one or more particles in a volume or region. In an embodiment, the trapping device localizes multiple particles in different ones of multiple volumes or regions, each such volume or region being referred to herein as a trap. In an embodiment, any particle trapping device can be used. In an embodiment, the particle trapping device is configured and operated to localize a single particle in each trap. The traps can initially have multiple particles but can then be manipulated to obtain a single particle in each trap. Specifically, to help ensure "deterministic" transfer, in an embodiment, the trap should only allow one particle inside. This can be achieved by tuning the confinement potential such that only one particle can be located inside and the Coulomb energy is higher than the trap. To assist with this, the particles can be ionized, for example, using laser radiation.

[0076] In an embodiment, reference Figure 3A, an exemplary embodiment of a top view of the arrangement 335 of the traps is shown as including a plurality of traps 337. In an embodiment, the traps are configured as a regular array, although the traps need not be so. In an embodiment, there may be greater than or equal to 10 traps, greater than or equal to 100 traps, greater than or equal to 500 traps, greater than or equal to 1000 traps, greater than or equal to 10,000 traps, greater than or equal to 100,000 traps, or greater than or equal to 1,000,000 traps (or any other range selected from a range greater than or equal to 10 traps). As a non-limiting example, there may be a 10,000×10,000 array of traps, and the 10,000×10,000 array of traps may be positioned in, for example, a 4 mm 2 area. As a non-limiting example, the traps may be spaced apart by a distance selected from any other range selected from a range of 10 nm to 20 μm, 50 nm to 10 μm, 75 nm to 1 μm, 100 nm to 500 nm, 100 nm to 300 nm, 50 nm to 300 nm, 50 nm to 200 nm, 75 nm to 125 nm, or a range of 10 nm to 20 μm.

[0077] As discussed above, any particle trapping device now known or later known may be used. An exemplary particle trapping device for neutral particles is a magneto-optical trap (MOT) device known in the art, which uses a combination of a magnetic field and laser radiation to trap particles. In an embodiment, the magneto-optical trap is a 2DMOT. In an embodiment, the magneto-optical trap is a 3D MOT. Figure 3B A highly schematic side view of an embodiment showing a version of the MOT that may be used to generate the arrangement 335 and the traps 337 is shown. A pair of magnetic coils 372 in an anti-Helmholtz configuration and laser beams 374 directed from different directions at the particle 370 are used to trap the particle 370. As will be appreciated, the coils 372 and the beams 374 (more coils and beams than are explicitly shown) may be used to form a plurality of traps 337 or multiple iterations of the coils 372 and the beams 374 may be provided to form a plurality of traps 337. In an embodiment, a particle beam may be scanned across the trap arrangement 335 to assist in filling the traps.

[0078] The capture at 335 can be referred to as a reservoir capture because confining each particle to its specific region or volume results in a relatively coarse placement compared to the desired placement such that the particles can be accurately placed for transfer to the substrate. When the particles are captured, one or more different cooling techniques known in the art, including through the particle cooling structure 320 (e.g., optical molasses, Sisyphus cooling, etc.), can even be used to further cool the particles. Thus, as Figure 2 shown, the cooling at 320 and the capture at 330 can be repeated until the desired relatively coarse placement is achieved. Optionally, a 2D trap ("pancake trap") is generated by using a strong laser that confines the particles in a 2D plane.

[0079] In an embodiment, once the particles are sufficiently captured at 330, the particle positioning structure 340 is used to locally capture the particles further. In an embodiment, the particle positioning structure 340 includes optical tweezers. In an embodiment, such local traps are generated by laser spots in a 2D plane. These laser spots are called optical tweezers and can trap particles (e.g., single particles) at well-defined spatial positions. By tuning the position where the spots appear, a pattern of particles can be generated. Referring to Figure 4, a highly schematic side view description of an exemplary embodiment of an optical tweezer arrangement 400 is shown. The radiation beam 410 is processed by a radiation modulator (such as, another type among a switchable mirror array (e.g., digital micromirror device (DMD)), acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF), any other type of spatial light modulator (SLM), etc.) so as to generate radiation spots at different positions within the array of traps 335 and be able to control its position and / or whether the spot is on or off. As a result, a pattern of spots can be generated, and the pattern of spots can then generate a pattern of particles for subsequent delivery to the substrate. Each spot thus resembles a pixel and the associated one or more particles of the spot are used to transfer the associated particles to the substrate to effectively act as a pixel at the substrate. Similarly, multiple spots can resemble pixels and the associated particles of the multiple spots are used to transfer the associated particles to the substrate to effectively act as pixels at the substrate. The spots are directed to an optional optical device 440 by an optional mirror 430, and the optional optical device 440 provides the spots to the array of traps 335. The resulting optical tweezer traps generated by the spots have a width of approximately the wavelength of the radiation used. For example, the width is in the range of 0.5 μm to 2 μm depending on the wavelength of the radiation (where the width is approximately proportional to the wavelength allocated by the numerical aperture of the optical device 440). The cold particles trapped in each such optical tweezer can have a confinement range much smaller than the width of the trap, approximately less than 10 times the width of the optical tweezer trap, because the energy of the cold particles is much lower than the potential well. In an embodiment, the confinement range is selected from the range of 0.1 nm to 150 nm, for example, selected from the range of 0.1 nm to 100 nm, such as selected from the range of 1 nm to 100 nm, such as selected from the range of 0.1 nm to 50 nm, such as selected from the range of 50 nm to 110 nm (or any other range selected from the range of 0.1 nm to 150 nm). In an embodiment, the optical tweezer arrangement 400 provides a strong confinement to position the particles to a position less than or equal to 50 nm of the desired position, to a position less than or equal to 30 nm of the desired position, to a position less than or equal to 20 nm of the desired position, to a position less than or equal to 10 nm of the desired position, or to a position less than or equal to 5 nm of the desired position, to a position less than or equal to 2 nm of the desired position, or to a position less than or equal to 1 nm of the desired position (or any other range selected from the range less than or equal to 50 nm). In an embodiment, instead of or in addition to the optical tweezer arrangement discussed above, any other local trapping mechanism can be used to further locally trap the particles. In an embodiment, the local trapping mechanism is configured to trap neutral particles.In an embodiment, by way of example, particles can be charged at a trap (e.g., using a laser as described herein) and then further locally trapped using, for example, a Paul trap or a wire grid array as described herein.

[0080] In the case where the particles are localized, the particles are then transported to the substrate W by a particle transport device 360. That is, the particles are transported from the trap at 340 to the substrate W. In an embodiment, the particle transport device 360 is configured to transfer neutral particles from the trap to the substrate W in a relatively deterministic manner. For example, a laser beam can be irradiated onto the trapped particles, for example, from the top of the trap as shown in Figure 3A When the laser is tuned to the transition region inside the neutral particle and irradiated from one direction, the beam can effectively "push" the particle away from the trap along the laser beam direction towards the substrate. In an embodiment, there can be one or more laser beams provided by a single or multiple laser beam sources irradiated onto multiple traps (with multiple particles). In an embodiment, the local trap implemented by optical tweezers is turned off and one or more beams are used to shift the particles to the substrate.

[0081] In an embodiment, the substrate W can be close enough to the trap at 340 such that the charge (e.g., a DC pulse) between the substrate W and the trap at 340 can enable the particles to be transported therefrom to the substrate. Thus, the particle transport device 360 can be one or more electrodes connected to a suitable power source to provide charge. In an embodiment, the local trap implemented by optical tweezers is turned off and charge is used to shift the particles to the substrate.

[0082] In an embodiment, to assist in achieving desired placement specifications in a range such as from 0.1 nm to 4 nm, from 0.1 nm to 2 nm, or from 0.1 nm to 1 nm and / or to allow for additional space between the trap and the substrate, optics can be used to transport the particles to the substrate. In an embodiment, the particle transport device 360 includes charged particle optics. For example, electrostatic lenses known in the art such as those used in electron beam devices can be used. For example, the charged particle optics includes a single lens.

[0083] In an embodiment, (in the case where the particles are already uncharged) the particles are charged by a particle charging device 350. In an embodiment, the particles are charged using laser radiation (e.g., ionized by laser irradiation). In an embodiment, the particles are charged such that the charged particle optics can work with the neutral particles initially provided by the source 310. Additionally or alternatively, the particles are charged such that the trap can hold a single particle and the inherent repulsive nature of the same charged particles will help to force a particular particle out of the trap or prevent particles from entering the trap.

[0084] In an embodiment, particularly in cases where the limitations of using a particle positioning structure, for example, are outside the desired placement specifications, the particles are imaged onto the substrate at a reduction rate. In an embodiment, the reduction rate is provided by charged particle optics. Thus, the local trap implemented by the particle positioning structure is turned off and the charged particle optics are used to shift the particles to the substrate as the positioning of the particles is reduced. In an embodiment, the charged particles are accelerated towards the charged particle optics. For example, a reduction rate selected from the range of 2 times to 10,000 times or from the range of 2 times to 1,000 times or from the range of 2 times to 100 times (or any range selected from the range of 2 times to 10,000 times) can be applied.

[0085] In an embodiment, in applications where, for example, multiple individual particles or clusters of particles are deposited in a pattern or deposited into a particular smaller or narrower area, the optics are designed such that the landing energy of the particles at the substrate is nearly zero (but not exactly zero, approximately 0.2 meV to 1000 meV (mega electron volts)). This lower landing energy helps to ensure that the particles "soft land" on the surface, remain in place and do not scatter away from their respective positions. In an embodiment, the landing energy should be lower than the migration energy of the particles on the surface. In an embodiment, the landing energy is less than or equal to the energy at approximately room temperature (k b T ~ 25 meV), which can help to ensure that the particles remain in place. The lower landing energy can result in significant aberrations (e.g., chromatic aberration and / or spherical aberration) of standard charged particle optics. Thus, in an embodiment, the energy spread in the lateral direction (e.g., parallel to the substrate surface) can be reduced by positioning the particles before they enter the charged particle optics in order to reduce the aberration. Thus, control of the energy spread of the particles and / or stronger positioning of the particles can enable reduction of chromatic aberration and / or spherical aberration. Using the cooling described herein, the energy spread can be reduced and it can also facilitate positioning using the trap and the particle positioning structure.

[0086] As will be appreciated, devices providing the functions described with respect to 310, 320, 330, 340, 350, and 360 can be combined in one device or in a combination of two or more different devices by having, for example, a MOT arrangement and one or more additional lasers that are directed into the MOT arrangement to provide cooling, optical tweezers, and / or charging (e.g., ionization). Thus, devices providing 310, 320, 330, 340, 350, and 360 can have any type of physical construction or arrangement to provide those functions (e.g., those functions can all be integrated into the same device, two or more functions can be integrated into one device while one or more other functions are provided by different devices, etc.). All of the devices 300 can be provided within an enclosure or chamber that is typically arranged at low pressure. In an embodiment, one or more parts of the device 300 can be provided outside of the enclosure or chamber. For example, in an embodiment, the source 310 can be separate from the devices 320, 330, 340, 350, and 360 and then particles can be fed via a channel into the systems corresponding to the devices 320, 330, 340, 350, and 360. One or more actuators can be provided to provide relative movement between the substrate W and the trap and / or optics, typically movement of the substrate W.

[0087] In a non-limiting embodiment, the system can have 100 digital micromirror devices each having 2 MP (e.g., in a 10×10 array or a digital micromirror device having 200 MP), operating in parallel at a frequency of about 50 kHz such that the system can transfer particles to a fully standard 300 mm semiconductor substrate with an accuracy of 0.5 nm or better with an 8 h throughput. Of course, using clusters larger than a single particle can increase throughput. Additionally, throughput can be increased if only selected portions of the substrate require particles.

[0088] In an embodiment, the system is configured to process charged particles such as atoms, clusters of atoms, or charged molecules. In an embodiment, the charged particles are trapped. In an embodiment, cooling and trapping devices are used to cool and contain the particles. The trapped particles are then transported to the substrate. In an embodiment, the transport includes using charged particle optics to transfer the charged particles to the substrate. To achieve throughput and scale, a large number of traps are used and the particles can be efficiently transported in parallel from the traps to the substrate. In an embodiment, each trap is capable of capturing a single charged particle and using cooling and a strong confinement potential to localize the position of the single charged particle to less than or equal to 1 nm, less than or equal to 10 nm, or less than or equal to 50 nm, or less than or equal to 100 nm (or any other range selected from the range less than or equal to 100 nm).

[0089] Reference Figure 5 , depicts a higher level of breakdown of an embodiment of system 500. Briefly, in the system, a catcher (e.g., an atomic catcher) is used to cool (such that the particles have ultra-low energy spread) and localize the particles. This allows for the subsequent use of, for example, charged particle optics to transport (e.g., gently deposit) the particles onto the substrate with high accuracy. Since the system operates at the particle level, the system (or at least the component that transports the particles through the space between the physical tool and the substrate to the substrate) should operate at low pressure (most likely ultra-high vacuum) to avoid any collisions of the (to-be-transported) particles with background gas particles. Figure 6 And Figure 7 is a schematic side view description of an embodiment of a system according to Figure 5 .

[0090] Particle source 510 generates a particle stream or cloud. For example, particle source 510 releases particles (e.g., atoms) from a solid or liquid into the particle stream or cloud or directly releases particles from a gas reservoir. The source is typically used in thermal or electron beam evaporators and / or sputtering tools and a source designed for such applications can be configured for use in this system. In an embodiment, particle source 510 is a single atom source. At this stage, the temperature of the particles can be at or above room temperature (T > 300 K). Reference Figure 6 , an embodiment of particle source 600 outputs a charged particle beam (or cloud) towards particle capture devices 520, 620. In an embodiment, the charged particle beam is scanned across particle capture devices 520, 620 (particle capture devices 520, 620 can include multiple catchers as described herein). In a variant embodiment, reference Figure 7 , particle source 600 outputs neutral particles towards particle capture devices 520, 620 in the form of a cloud (or beam). In an embodiment, particle charging device 700 provides charge to the particles. In an embodiment, particle charging device 700 outputs one or more laser beams to provide charge to the particles (e.g., by ionization upon irradiation). In an embodiment, the beam of neutral particles (which then carry charge) is scanned across particle capture devices 520, 620 (particle capture devices 520, 620 can include multiple catchers as described herein). Thus, the function of the source 510 arrangement is to fill particle capture devices 520, 620 (e.g., all catchers of particle capture devices 520, 620 have particles). If there are, for example, 10,000 × 10,000 catchers (about one catcher per 100 nm) in a 4 mm 2 area, a scan speed of about 500 MHz should be sufficient. The duration per catcher is such that multiple particles are emitted towards the catcher to ensure a good probability of filling the catcher. In an embodiment, the particle stream has a current of about 1 μA to 10 μA.

[0091] The particle output of the particle source 510 is received at the particle capture device 520. An example of a particle capture device is schematically depicted as 620 in Figure 6 and Figure 7 . In an example, the device uses a plurality of charged particle traps. A schematic top view of an example of the particle traps of the particle capture devices 520, 620 is presented in Figure 8 . As discussed above, the plurality of charged particle traps can be filled with particles 830 by a beam or cloud of particles.

[0092] The particle capture devices 520, 620 localize one or more particles in a volume or region. In an example, the capture device localizes a plurality of particles in different ones of a plurality of volumes or regions, each such volume or region being referred to herein as a trap. In an example, the particle capture device is configured and operated to localize a single particle in each trap. The traps can initially have a plurality of particles but can then be manipulated to obtain a single particle in each trap. Specifically, in an example, to help ensure a “deterministic” transfer, the trap should only allow one particle inside. This can be achieved by tuning the confinement potential such that only one particle can be located inside and the Coulomb energy is higher than that of the trap.

[0093] Referring to Figures 6 to 8 , an example embodiment of the arrangement of traps is shown to include a plurality of traps 800. In an example, the traps are arranged in a regular array, although the traps need not be. In an example, there can be greater than or equal to 10 traps, greater than or equal to 100 traps, greater than or equal to 500 traps, greater than or equal to 1000 traps, greater than or equal to 10,000 traps, greater than or equal to 100,000 traps, or greater than or equal to 1,000,000 traps (or any other range selected from a range greater than or equal to 10 traps). For example, there can be greater than or equal to 1 trap, greater than or equal to 5 traps, greater than or equal to 10 traps, greater than or equal to 100 traps, greater than or equal to 200 traps, greater than or equal to 500 traps, or greater than or equal to 1,000 traps, or greater than or equal to 10,000 traps (or any other range selected from a range greater than or equal to 1 trap) along either or both of the directions 840 and 850. As a non-limiting example, there can be a 10,000×10,000 array of traps, and the 10,000×10,000 array of traps can be located, for example, in 4 mm 2As non-limiting examples, the traps may be spaced apart at distances selected from 10 nm to 20 μm, from 50 nm to 10 μm, from 75 nm to 1 μm, from 100 nm to 500 nm, from 100 nm to 300 nm, from 50 nm to 300 nm, from 50 nm to 200 nm, from 75 nm to 125 nm, or any other range selected from 10 nm to 20 μm. Because confining each particle to its specific region or volume results in a relatively coarse position placement compared to the desired position placement to enable accurate placement of the particle to the substrate, the capture in trap 800 may be referred to as reservoir capture.

[0094] In an embodiment, any known particle capture device may be used. In an embodiment, the particle trap 800 is configured to capture one or more charged particles (e.g., ions). In an embodiment, the particle trap 800 has a plurality of electrodes 810 housed on a body 820 (e.g., a silicon body) to which RF and DC voltages are applied to generate at least one electric field, including, for example, an RF field. Figure 9A Shown from Figure 8 A schematic top view of an embodiment of a single trap 800 and Figure 9B Shows the Figure 9A Schematic side view of a trap 800. In an embodiment, the charged particle trap comprises a Paul trap comprising a plurality of electrodes (e.g., at least 4 electrodes) connected in pairs to an RF generator. The field generated forces the charged particles to move toward the region of lowest field, which is typically designed to be the central portion of the trap. The trap potential can be parabolic or of a higher order type by selecting the arrangement of the electrodes. In an embodiment, the controller is configured to provide an appropriate current / voltage to produce a capture function, including, for example, generating a static and / or dynamic field. In an embodiment, the field generated is static. In an embodiment, the field generated is dynamic. In a preferred embodiment, the field generated is static and dynamic, for example, including a static component and a dynamic component. In an embodiment, the static field is a DC field. In an embodiment, the dynamic field is an AC or RF field.

[0095] In an embodiment, the function of the particle trap 800 is to unambiguously capture a single particle from a random particle beam or particle cloud. Thus, in an embodiment, the trap 800 is appropriately configured (e.g., optimized) with a relevant RF field amplitude and frequency such that only a single particle is captured. If a second charged particle attempts to populate the trap, the second charged particle is repelled due to the Coulomb repulsion of the first particle. At the particle trapping devices 520, 620, one or more RF field parameters do not necessarily provide strong confinement. A shallower potential particle trap enables deterministic capture of a single particle. The trap enables cooling of the captured particle.

[0096] Reference Figures 5 to 7 and Figure 10 , the particle cooling structures 530, 630 sufficiently cool the received particle flux such that the particles can be more strongly confined in the particle trap. Figure 10 FIG. shows a schematic top view of exemplary particle cooling structures 530, 630. In an embodiment, the temperature should be less than or equal to 1000 mK, less than or equal to 100 mK, less than or equal to 10 mK, or less than or equal to about 1 mK (or any other range selected from the range less than or equal to 1000 mK). Cooling can be performed in stages, e.g., cooling to one temperature and then cooling to another lower temperature. In an embodiment, cooling in stages can use different types of devices, multiple examples of the same type of device, different applications of cooling in the same device, or any combination selected from the foregoing. In an embodiment, cooling can be performed by a laser cooling (Doppler cooling) device known in the art and configured or modified for use in the systems described herein. In an embodiment, cooling can be performed by a Zeeman slower known in the art and configured or modified for use in the systems described herein. In an embodiment, cooling can be performed by a Sisyphus cooling device known in the art and configured or modified for use in the systems described herein. In an embodiment, cooling can be performed by a cavity cooling device known in the art and configured or modified for use in the systems described herein. In an embodiment, cooling can be performed by an optical molasses cooling device known in the art and configured or modified for use in the systems described herein.

[0097] Reference Figure 10 , with multiple traps (the multiple traps can have the structure as depicted and described earlier, see, e.g., Figure 6Figs. 0 to 9) depict embodiments of particle cooling structures 530, 630. To achieve strong confinement, the particles should be cooled to the ground state of the potential well or near the ground state of the potential well. One or more lasers are used here to perform cooling, such as Doppler cooling, Sisyphus cooling, cavity cooling, etc. Laser cooling utilizes the trapped particles and thus the particle cooling structures 530, 630 use the traps 800 of the particle trapping devices 520, 620 or have their own traps (e.g., in the form of trap 800). In an embodiment, radiation can reach the particles from above and / or below using free space optics (not depicted in Figure 10 ). In an embodiment, the radiation can be supplied from one or more lasers 1000 (e.g., laser diodes) and supplied to the trap via one or more waveguides 1010 in or on the body 1030 that houses the trap. One or more mirrors 1020 can be used to propagate the radiation from the waveguide that has traveled across the trap and back through the trap. Thus, the mirror mounted on the side of the trap opposite the waveguide exit helps photons illuminate the particles from both sides. Additionally or alternatively, although Figures 8 to 10 is not shown, one or more lasers can be used to irradiate the trap with radiation from above or below the body 820. Optionally, the arrangement can use one mirror or mirrors above or below the body 820 to work with one or more lasers above or below the body 820 to reflect the radiation back into the trap.

[0098] Once the particles are sufficiently cooled, in an embodiment, the particle positioning structures 540, 640 are used to further locally confine the particles. Refer to Figures 5 to 7 and Figure 11 for exemplary embodiments depicting the arrangement of particle positioning structures 540, 640 having multiple traps. Figure 11A schematic top view showing particle positioning structures 540, 640. In an embodiment, the traps are arranged in a regular array, although the traps need not be so. In an embodiment, there may be greater than or equal to 10 traps, greater than or equal to 100 traps, greater than or equal to 500 traps, greater than or equal to 1000 traps, greater than or equal to 10,000 traps, greater than or equal to 100,000 traps, or greater than or equal to 1,000,000 traps (or any other range selected from the range of greater than or equal to 10 traps). For example, there may be greater than or equal to 1 trap, greater than or equal to 5 traps, greater than or equal to 10 traps, greater than or equal to 100 traps, greater than or equal to 200 traps, greater than or equal to 500 traps, greater than or equal to 1,000 traps, or greater than or equal to 10,000 traps (or any other range selected from the range of greater than or equal to 1 trap) along either or both of two different directions. As a non-limiting example, there may be a 10,000×10,000 trap array, and the 10,000×10,000 trap array may be positioned in, for example, a 4 mm 2 area. As a non-limiting example, the traps may be spaced apart by a distance selected from any other range selected from the range of 10 nm to 20 μm, 50 nm to 10 μm, 75 nm to 1 μm, 100 nm to 500 nm, 100 nm to 300 nm, 50 nm to 300 nm, 50 nm to 200 nm, 75 nm to 125 nm, or 10 nm to 20 μm. As a non-limiting example, the traps may have a width selected from any other range selected from the range of 50 nm to 10 μm, 75 nm to 1 μm, 100 nm to 500 nm, 100 nm to 300 nm, 50 nm to 300 nm, 50 nm to 200 nm, 75 nm to 125 nm, or 10 nm to 20 μm.

[0099] In an embodiment, any known particle trapping device can be used. In an embodiment, the particle trap is configured to trap one or more charged particles (e.g., ions). In an embodiment, the particle trap can have the form of the particle trap 800 as previously described. The electrodes of the trap 800 can be connected to the RF voltage source 1100 via wires 1110 and 1120. In an embodiment, the charged particle trap includes a Paul trap, which includes a plurality of electrodes (e.g., at least 4 electrodes) connected in pairs to the RF generator 1100. The RF field forces the charged particles to travel to the region with the lowest field value, and the region with the lowest field value is typically designed as the central part of the trap. The trap potential can be parabolic or of a higher order type by selecting the arrangement of the electrodes. Thus, in an embodiment, the trap is appropriately configured (e.g., optimized) with the relevant RF field amplitude and frequency such that the (multiple) particles are confined to a very specific position (region or volume). In an embodiment, the trap of the particle positioning structure 540 provides a stronger confinement to position the corresponding (multiple) particles to a position less than or equal to 100 nm of the desired position, to a position less than or equal to 10 nm of the desired position, to a position less than or equal to 5 nm of the desired position, to a position less than or equal to 2 nm of the desired position, or to a position less than or equal to 1 nm of the desired position.

[0100] Figure 12 Shows a simulation of the electric field of the trap 800 across a cross-sectional width of about 100 nm. In this case, the electric field is normalized and in units of V / m. It can be seen that the voltage varies from the periphery to the lowest value at or near the central position in the trap 800. Particles will tend to be confined here due to the potential field. Figure 13 Shows Figure 12 a simulation of the ponderomotive potential of a part 1200 of the electric field. The cross-sectional width 1210 across this part is about 60 nm. As Figure 13 can be seen, a potential well is formed with a depth 1300. It can be seen that particles will tend to be confined in the well due to the potential field of the trap 800.

[0101] FIG. 14 shows an embodiment of an array of particle traps 1400 using a wire grid arrangement. The particle traps 1400 can be used to provide stronger positioning of the (multiple) particles. Figure 14AA schematic side view showing the wire grid trap array arrangement is presented. The wire grid array includes a first electrode 1410 in the form of, for example, a grid structure, a second electrode 1420 in the form of, for example, a comb structure, a third electrode 1430 in the form of, for example, a comb structure, and a fourth electrode 1440 in the form of, for example, a grid structure. In an embodiment, a dielectric 1450 is provided between the electrodes to keep the electrodes isolated from each other; an open air gap or other materials in addition to the dielectric can be used. An RF source 1460 is configured to provide an RF voltage to the second electrode 1420 and the third electrode 1430 to generate a field in the gap within a portion of the second electrode 1420 as shown in at least Figure 14A and to provide an RF voltage to the gap between the second electrode 1420 and the third electrode 1430.

[0102] Figure 14B A schematic top view showing the first electrode 1410 is presented. As shown, particle traps 1400 are formed at holes in the first electrode 1410. A DC power source 1470 is configured to provide a DC voltage to the first electrode 1410. The holes in the electrode 1410 allow particles to enter the wire grid trap array arrangement so as to be trapped in the corresponding traps 1400. In an embodiment, the distance (pitch) 1480 is selected from any range selected from a range from about 20 nm to 200 nm, a range from about 80 nm to 150 nm, a range from about 90 nm to 125 nm, or a range from about 20 nm to 200 nm. In an embodiment, the width 1485 is selected from any range selected from a range from about 5 nm to 100 nm, a range from about 10 nm to 70 nm, a range from about 15 nm to 50 nm, or a range from about 5 nm to 100 nm.

[0103] Figure 14C A schematic top view showing the second electrode 1420 and the third electrode 1430 is presented. As shown, particle traps 1400 are formed at holes defined by the second electrode 1420 and the third electrode 1430. The RF source 1460 is configured to provide an RF voltage to the second electrode 1420 and the third electrode 1430. The holes defined by the second electrode 1420 and the third electrode 1430 allow particles to enter the corresponding traps 1400 and enable the particles to be trapped in the corresponding traps 1400. For ease of understanding, the dielectric layer between the second electrode 1420 and the third electrode 1430 is not shown in Figure 14C .

[0104] Figure 14DA schematic top view showing the fourth electrode 1440 is presented. As shown, the particle trap 1400 is formed at a hole in the fourth electrode 1440. The DC power supply 1490 is configured to supply a DC voltage to the fourth electrode 1440. The holes in the electrode 1440 allow particles to exit the respective traps 1400 of the wire grid trap array arrangement for conveyance to a wafer (the wafer is not shown, but in an embodiment the wafer would be beneath the wire grid array arrangement shown in Figure 14A ).

[0105] Figure 15 A simulation of the electric field of a trap similar to trap 1400 with a cross-sectional width of approximately 100 nm is shown. In this case, the electric field is normalized and in units of V / m. It can be seen that the voltage varies from the periphery to a minimum value at or near the central position in the trap. Particles will tend to be confined here due to the potential field. It can be seen that this field is similar to the Figure 12 field.

[0106] In the case where the particles are localized, the particles are then conveyed to the substrate W by the particle conveyance device 550. That is, the particles are conveyed from the traps at 540, 640 (such as traps 800, 1400) to the substrate W. In an embodiment, the substrate W can be sufficiently close to the traps at 540, 640 such that the charge (e.g., DC pulse) between the substrate W and the traps at 540, 640 can enable the particles to be conveyed from the traps at 540, 640 to the substrate. Thus, the particle conveyance device 550 can be one or more electrodes connected to an appropriate power supply to provide the charge. In an embodiment, the local traps implemented by the particle positioning structures 540, 640 are turned off and the particles are shifted to the substrate using charge (such as the charge provided by one or more electrodes of the particle positioning structure).

[0107] In an embodiment, to assist in achieving the desired placement specifications in, for example, the angstrom range (0.1 nm to 0.9 nm) and / or to allow for additional space between the trap and the substrate, optics can be used to convey the particles to the substrate. In an embodiment, the particle conveyance device 550 includes charged particle optics 550, 650. For example, electrostatic lenses known in the art such as those used in electron beam devices can be used. For example, the charged particle optics includes a single lens.

[0108] In an embodiment, particularly when the limitations of using particle positioning structures 540, 640, for example, are outside the desired placement specifications, the particles are imaged onto the substrate at a reduction rate. In an embodiment, the reduction rate is provided by charged particle optics. Thus, the local traps implemented by the particle positioning structures 540, 640 are turned off and the charged particle optics are used to shift the particles to the substrate as the positioning of the particles is reduced. In an embodiment, the charged particles are accelerated towards the charged particle optics. For example, a reduction rate can be applied that is selected from the range of 2 times to 10,000 times or from the range of 2 times to 1,000 times or from the range of 2 times to 100 times (or any range selected from the range of 2 times to 10,000 times).

[0109] In an embodiment, in applications such as, for example, where multiple individual particles or clusters of particles are deposited in a pattern or deposited into a smaller or narrower area, the optics are designed such that the landing energy of the particles at the substrate is nearly zero (but not exactly zero, approximately 0.2 meV to 1,000 meV). This lower landing energy helps to ensure that the particles "soft land" on the surface, stay in place, and do not scatter away from their respective positions. In an embodiment, the landing energy should be lower than the migration energy of the particles on the surface. In an embodiment, the landing energy is less than or equal to the energy at approximately room temperature (k b T ~ 25 meV), which can help to ensure that the particles stay in place. The lower landing energy can result in significant aberrations (e.g., chromatic aberration and / or spherical aberration) of standard charged particle optics. Thus, in an embodiment, the energy spread in the lateral direction (e.g., parallel to the substrate surface) can be reduced by positioning the particles before they enter the charged particle optics in order to reduce the aberration. Thus, control of the energy spread of the particles and / or stronger positioning of the particles can enable reduction of chromatic aberration and / or spherical aberration. Using the cooling described herein, the energy spread can be reduced and it can also facilitate positioning using the trap and the particle positioning structures.

[0110] As will be appreciated, a device providing the functionality described with respect to 510, 520, 530, 540, and 550 can be implemented by having, for example, a trap arrangement and one or more lasers combined in one device or in a combination of two or more different devices, the one or more lasers being directed into the trap to provide cooling and being configured to change the RF amplitude and frequency parameters of the electrodes in a timely manner to provide initial capture and positioning. Thus, a device providing 510, 520, 530, 540, and 550 can have any type of physical construction or arrangement to provide those functions (e.g., those functions can all be integrated into the same device, two or more functions can be integrated into one device while one or more other functions are provided by different devices, etc.). All of the devices 500 can be provided within a housing or chamber, which is typically arranged at low pressure. In an embodiment, one or more portions of the device 500 can be provided outside of the housing or chamber. For example, in an embodiment, the source 510 can be separate from the devices for 520, 530, 540, and 550 and then the particles can be fed via a channel into the systems corresponding to the devices 520, 530, 540, and 550. One or more actuators can be provided to provide relative movement between the substrate W and the trap and / or optics, typically movement of the substrate W.

[0111] In an embodiment, for purposes such as forming a pattern or delivering particles to a smaller or narrower area, the transfer of the one or more particles associated with the trap is controlled individually based on whether those one or more particles are transferred to the substrate. That is, a single trap effectively corresponds to a "pixel" at the substrate. In an embodiment, for purposes such as forming a pattern or delivering particles to a smaller or narrower area, the transfer of the one or more particles associated with the multiple traps is controlled jointly based on whether those one or more particles from those multiple traps are transferred to the substrate. That is, multiple traps effectively correspond to "pixels" at the substrate. This type of arrangement may be more readily implemented at the expense of resolution fineness (controlling the transfer of particles from multiple traps rather than a single trap). In this type of arrangement, there can be, for example, multiple sets (e.g., arrays) of traps (similar to those shown in Figure 3A and Figure 8 having any suitable number of traps), where the transfer of particles from each such set to the substrate is independently controlled. In an embodiment, there can be a combination of these types of arrangements (controlling the transfer of particles from different sets of multiple traps to the substrate for "coarse" resolution and controlling the transfer of particles from a single trap to the substrate for "fine" resolution).

[0112] In an embodiment, the pattern transfer device described herein is capable of forming a pattern of transferred particles, such as at least a portion of a device, such as an integrated circuit. In an embodiment, the pattern transfer device described herein is capable of transferring particles to a smaller or narrower region at a specific precise location, regardless of whether those particles form a pattern. In an embodiment, the smaller region on the substrate is less than or equal to 1 mm 2 , less than or equal to 0.5 mm 2 , less than or equal to 0.1 mm 2 , less than or equal to 1 μm 2 , less than or equal to 100 nm 2 , or less than or equal to 10 nm 2 (or any other range selected from a range less than or equal to 1 mm 2 or selected from a range less than or equal to 1 μm 2 ). In an embodiment, the narrow region on the substrate is a region having a cross-sectional dimension (e.g., width) less than or equal to 10 nm, or less than or equal to 5 nm, or less than or equal to 1 nm, or less than or equal to 0.5 nm (or any other range selected from a range less than or equal to 10 nm). In an embodiment, the specific location is a location within a range of 10 nm or less from the desired position, within a range of 5 nm or less from the desired position, or within a range of 1 nm or less from the desired position, or within a range of 0.5 nm or less from the desired position (or any other range selected from a range of 10 nm or less from the desired position).

[0113] In an embodiment, each trap is arranged to hold a single particle but may hold more than one particle depending on the application. In an embodiment, the particles are atoms, but in an embodiment, the particles are molecules. As discussed herein, in an embodiment, the particles are neutral at least at some point. In an embodiment, the particles are charged at least at some point. In an embodiment, each particle in a trap can be transferred to the substrate individually and, as discussed herein, the transfer of individual particles can be independently controlled and / or a collection of particles from different traps can be transferred to the substrate jointly. Thus, similarly, where each trap has more than one particle, the transfer of particles from each individual trap among the individual traps can be independently controlled and / or a collection of particles from different traps (each having more than one particle) can be transferred to the substrate jointly. Of course, there can be a combination of control of the transfer of individual particles and control of the joint transfer of multiple particles.

[0114] In a non-limiting embodiment, the system can have 100,000,000 (e.g., 10,000×10,000) traps, and 100,000,000 (e.g., 10,000×10,000) traps operate substantially in parallel at a frequency of about 50 kHz, such that the system can transfer particles to a fully standard 300 mm semiconductor substrate with an output of 16 h with an accuracy of 0.5 nm or better. Of course, using clusters larger than a single particle can increase the output. Additionally, if only selected portions of the substrate require particles, the output can be increased.

[0115] Figure 16 A schematic top view of a portion of a particle transfer device according to an embodiment for use with a substrate (e.g., a 300 mm wafer) is depicted. As Figure 16 shown, the device 100 includes a substrate stage 106 for holding the substrate 114. Associated with the substrate stage 106 is a positioning device 116 for moving the substrate stage 106 in at least the X direction as shown by arrow 123 (of course the substrate stage 106 can move in the opposite manner as shown by arrow 123). Optionally, the positioning device 116 can move the substrate stage 106 in the Y direction and / or the Z direction. The positioning device 116 can also rotate the substrate stage 106 about the X, Y, and / or Z directions. Thus, the positioning device 116 can provide motion in up to 6 degrees of freedom. In an embodiment, the substrate stage 106 provides motion only in the X direction, and the advantage of motion only in the X direction is lower cost and less complexity.

[0116] The device 100 also includes a plurality of individually addressable elements 102 disposed on a frame 160. The frame 160 can be mechanically isolated from the substrate stage 106 and its positioning device 116. For example, mechanical isolation can be provided by connecting the frame 160 to the ground or to a rigid base separate from the frame for the substrate stage 106 and / or its positioning device 116. Additionally or alternatively, dampers can be provided between the frame 160 and the structure to which the frame 160 is connected, regardless of whether the structure is the ground, a rigid base, or the frame supporting the substrate stage 106 and / or its positioning device 116.

[0117] In this embodiment, each of the individually addressable elements 102 is one of the traps described above or a collection of traps as described above. For simplicity, Figure 16Three rows of individually addressable elements 102 extending along the Y direction (and spaced in the X direction) are shown, with each row having sufficient columns in this embodiment to extend across the width of the substrate; a different number of rows and / or columns of individually addressable elements 102 may be arranged on the frame 160. For example, the number of columns need not extend across the width of the substrate. In an embodiment, each of the individually addressable elements 102 corresponds to a single catcher. In an embodiment, each of the individually addressable elements 102 corresponds to a plurality of catchers (e.g., arranged in a regular array). In an embodiment, the individually addressable elements 102 of one or more rows are staggered in the Y direction with the individually addressable elements 102 of adjacent rows, as Figure 16 shown. In an embodiment, the individually addressable elements 102 are substantially stationary, i.e., the individually addressable elements 102 do not move significantly or at all during particle transfer.

[0118] The device 100 (particularly the individually addressable elements 102) may be arranged to provide pixel grid transfer, as described in more detail herein. However, in an embodiment, the device 100 need not provide pixel grid transfer.

[0119] As Figure 16 The element 150 of the device 100 depicted may include a measurement system. The measurement system may include, for example, an alignment sensor, a level sensor, or both. For example, in an embodiment, the device 100 includes an alignment sensor 150. The alignment sensor is used to determine the alignment between the substrate 114 and, for example, the individually addressable elements 102 before and / or during the transfer of the particles to the substrate 114. In an embodiment, the alignment sensor 150 is configured to measure alignment marks on the substrate 114 (e.g., Figure 1 P1 or P2 in ) and / or alignment marks on the stage 106 (e.g., one or more alignment marks 118). The results of the alignment sensor 150 may be used by the controller of the device 100 to control, for example, the positioning device 116 for positioning the substrate stage 106 to improve alignment. Additionally or alternatively, the controller may control the positioning device associated with the individually addressable elements 102 to position one or more of the individually addressable elements 102 (including, for example, positioning one or more of the elements 102 relative to one or more other elements 102) to improve alignment in response to a signal from the sensor 150. In an embodiment, the alignment sensor 150 may include pattern recognition functionality / software for performing alignment.

[0120] In an embodiment, additionally or alternatively, the apparatus 100 includes a level sensor 150. The level sensor 150 is configured to determine whether the substrate 114 is aligned or level relative to the transfer of particles from the individually addressable elements 102. The level sensor 150 may determine the level state before and / or during the transfer of particles to the substrate 114. The results of the level sensor 150 may be used by a controller of the apparatus 100 to control, for example, a positioning device 116 for positioning the substrate table 106 to improve leveling. Additionally or alternatively, the controller may control a positioning device (e.g., a frame supporting at least a portion of the individually addressable element 102) associated with the individually addressable element 102 for positioning at least a portion of the individually addressable element 102 to improve leveling, for example, in response to a signal from the sensor 150. In an embodiment, the level sensor may operate by projecting an electromagnetic radiation beam at the substrate 114.

[0121] In an embodiment, the results from the alignment sensor and / or the level sensor may be used to vary the pattern provided by the individually addressable elements 102. The pattern may be varied to correct for, for example, distortions that may be caused by, for example, optics (if any) between the individually addressable element 102 and the substrate 114, irregularities in the positioning of the substrate 114, non-uniformities of the substrate 114, etc. Thus, the results from the alignment sensor and / or the level sensor may be used to vary the pattern to effect non-linear distortion correction.

[0122] In operation of the lithography apparatus 100, the substrate 114 is loaded onto the substrate table 106 using, for example, a robotic handler (not shown). The substrate 114 is then shifted in the X direction as shown by the arrow 123 under the frame 160 and the individually addressable elements 102. The substrate 114 is measured by the level sensor and / or the alignment sensor 150, and the substrate 114 is then exposed to particles from the individually addressable elements 102. For example, the substrate 114 is moved (e.g., stepped) through the focal plane (image plane) of the individually addressable elements 102 and the individually addressable elements 102 are effectively switched to at least partially or fully "on" to transfer particles or are effectively switched to "off" to not transfer particles. Features corresponding to a desired pattern or layout are formed on the substrate 114.

[0123] In an embodiment, the substrate 114 may be moved (e.g., stepped) completely in the positive X direction and then completely in the negative X direction. In this embodiment, additional level sensors and / or alignment sensors 150 on opposite sides of the individually addressable element 102 may be required for the negative X direction movement.

[0124] Figure 17FIG. 0 depicts a schematic top view of a portion of an apparatus according to an embodiment, the apparatus being for transferring particles to a substrate in the manufacture of, for example, a flat panel device (e.g., LCD, OLED display, etc.). Similar to Figure 16 the apparatus 100 shown in

[0125] FIG. 1, the apparatus 100 includes a substrate stage 106 for holding a flat panel substrate 114, a positioning device 116 for moving the substrate stage 106 in up to six degrees of freedom, an alignment sensor 150 for determining the alignment between the individually addressable elements 102 and the substrate 114, and a leveling sensor 150 for determining whether the substrate 114 is level with respect to the transfer of the particles. Figure 17 The apparatus 100 further includes a plurality of individually addressable elements 102 disposed on a frame 160. In this embodiment, each of the individually addressable elements 102 is one of the traps described above or a collection of traps as described above. For simplicity, three rows of individually addressable elements 102 extending in the Y direction are shown in Figure 17 FIG. 2 and have sufficient columns to cover the width of the substrate; a different number of rows and / or columns of individually addressable elements 102 may be disposed on the frame 160. For example, the number of columns need not extend across the width of the substrate. In an embodiment, each of the individually addressable elements 102 corresponds to a single trap. In an embodiment, each of the individually addressable elements 102 corresponds to a plurality of traps (e.g., arranged in a regular array). In an embodiment, one or more rows of individually addressable elements 102 are staggered in the Y direction with respect to the individually addressable elements 102 of an adjacent row, as shown in

[0126] FIG. 3. In an embodiment, the individually addressable elements 102 are substantially stationary, i.e., the individually addressable elements 102 do not move significantly or at all during particle transfer.

[0127] Referring to Figure 18 FIG. 4, a highly schematic top view depicting the arrangement of the individually addressable elements 102 with respect to a substrate W. The drawing is not to scale at all - for example, the substrate W would typically be much larger. As shown, there are a plurality of individually addressable elements 102 arranged in a two-dimensional arrangement (e.g., an array) 101 in this embodiment. In Figure 18There are 225 individually addressable elements 102 arranged in a square 15×15 array (although different numbers may exist), arranged in different types of arrays, etc. Each individually addressable element 102 emits one or more particles towards the substrate 114, thereby generating a light spot, where one or more particles are transferred onto the substrate 114. As Figure 18 shown in, the array 101 is positioned at an angle θ with respect to the direction 123 of the relative movement between the substrate 114 and the individually addressable element 102 (e.g., the movement direction 123 of the substrate 114). This enables each light spot to effectively cover different regions of the substrate (although there may be some overlap) when there is relative movement in this direction between the substrate 114 and the individually addressable element 102, thereby enabling the generation of a brush 140 of transferred particles having a width 141. In an embodiment, the width 141 corresponds to the width of the target portion on the substrate W. In an embodiment, the target portion corresponds to a portion cut from the substrate along a scribed line. In an embodiment, the angle θ is at most 20°, 10°, e.g., at most 5°, at most 3°, at most 1°, at most 0.5°, at most 0.25°, at most 0.10°, at most 0.05°, or at most 0.01°. In an embodiment, the angle θ is at least 0.0001°, e.g., at least 0.001°. The tilt angle θ is determined based on the light spot size (the light spot size may be a function of the working distance between the substrate and the individually addressable element 102) and the pitch between adjacent individually addressable elements 102. This angle effectively enables the inherent pitch between the traps to be narrowed.

[0128] Figure 19 A top view schematically illustrating how a pattern or other layout on the substrate 114 can be generated. The filled circles represent an array of light spots S of particles transferred onto the substrate 114 by the individually addressable elements 102 in the array 101. When, for example, a series of transfers are performed on the substrate 114, the substrate 114 moves relative to the individually addressable element 102 in the X direction (e.g., in the direction 123). The hollow circles represent the light spots SE that have been previously processed by transferring one or more particles onto the substrate 114 or not transferring particles onto the substrate 114. As shown, each light spot associated with each individually addressable element 102 in the array 101 transfers particles to a column R of light spots on the substrate 114. The complete pattern for the substrate 114 is generated by the sum of all columns R of light spots associated with all individually addressable elements 102. This arrangement may be referred to as "pixel grid transfer". It will be understood that Figure 19 is a schematic diagram and the light spots S and / or the light spots SE may actually overlap.

[0129] Similar to Figure 18In the situation shown, the array of light spots S is arranged at an angle θ with respect to the relative movement direction 123. This is done so that when there is relative movement between the substrate 114 and the individually addressable element 102 in this direction, each light spot will effectively transfer across different regions of the substrate 114, thereby allowing a brush to be created in a single scan. As discussed above, the tilt angle θ is determined based on the light spot size, the spacing between adjacent light spots, and the like.

[0130] Various embodiments can be used to write patterns to cover the substrate 114 by using one or more arrays 101. Of course, in an embodiment, one or more arrays 101 are not at an angle to the relative movement, and thus there can be various movements along the relative movement direction and along the direction orthogonal thereto to transfer the particles to various desired positions. In an embodiment, multiple arrays 101 are provided along the movement direction but the multiple arrays 101 are positioned with an offset in the direction orthogonal to the relative movement direction, so that the second, third, etc. arrays 101 fill the gaps left by the first array 101. A single relative movement across the target portion of the substrate may be sufficient to process the target portion (e.g., a portion of the substrate that is to be cut from the substrate) or multiple relative movements (possibly including orthogonal movements) can be used to process the target portion. Then, other movements (e.g., a meandering movement) will be used to process other target portions or there can be multiple arrays 101 operating in parallel to improve throughput. Or a single relative movement across the substrate may be sufficient to process the entire substrate or multiple relative movements (possibly including orthogonal movements) can be used to process the entire substrate.

[0131] Similarly, with regard to the brush 140, in an embodiment, the array 101 is large enough to fully expose the width of the brush 140 in a single scan. If the array 101 is not large enough to fully expose the width of the brush 140 in a single scan, various embodiments can be used to fully cover the width of the brush 140. In an embodiment, the relative movement between the array 101 and the substrate is provided multiple times, and in between these movements, a smaller relative movement is made in the direction orthogonal to the movement direction to "fill" the gaps. In an embodiment, multiple arrays 101 are provided along the movement direction but the multiple arrays 101 are positioned with an offset in the direction orthogonal to the movement direction, so that the second, third arrays 101, etc. fill the gaps left by the first array 101. A single relative movement between the brush 140 and the target portion of the substrate may be sufficient to process the target portion (e.g., a portion of the substrate that is to be cut from the substrate) or multiple relative movements (possibly including orthogonal movements) can be used to process the target portion. Then, other movements (e.g., a meandering movement) will be used to process other target portions or there can be multiple brushes 140 operating in parallel to improve throughput. Or a single relative movement between the brush 140 and the substrate may be sufficient to process the entire substrate or multiple relative movements (possibly including orthogonal movements) can be used to process the entire substrate.

[0132] Redundancy can be implemented (e.g., using another separately addressable element to handle regions of the separately addressable element 102 that are defective or not working properly). This can be done, for example, by increasing the range of motion and / or adding one or more additional separately addressable elements 102.

[0133] In an embodiment, a substrate herein can include any structure onto which particles need to be transferred. A non-limiting example is a substrate on which a device is to be formed or on which a device has been or is partially formed (e.g., a silicon wafer). Particles can be transferred onto the substrate for deposition, etching, implantation, device structure formation, etc. Another non-limiting example is a substrate corresponding to a mask or reticle for optical lithography or imprint lithography. Particles can be transferred onto the substrate for deposition, etching, implantation, mask / reticle structure formation, etc. In an embodiment, the techniques herein can be used to repair an object. For example, particles can be transferred onto a substrate corresponding to a mask or reticle for repairing a mask / reticle structure. Similarly, the techniques can be used to repair a device formed on a substrate.

[0134] Accordingly, there is provided a pattern transfer device capable of placing particles at a specific location (e.g., at an exact location in a region significantly smaller than the entire substrate). In an embodiment, the placement of particles can be used for various applications such as etching, or implantation, or feature construction (similar to conventional optical lithography where instead of optically exposing a resist to form features of a device, for example, the deposited particles are used to form the features).

[0135] In an embodiment, the pattern transfer device and method can transfer particles to specific locations in a deterministic and parallel manner. In a conventional manner, the pattern transfer device and method may involve the specific placement of particles (e.g., atoms, molecules) onto a substrate, such as for the construction of structures for devices, mask features, etc. (similar to conventional lithographic patterning), for highly localized implantation (as opposed to blanket implantation on a substrate), for highly localized etching (as opposed to blanket etching on a substrate), etc.

[0136] This can enable operation at the atomic / molecular scale. Optical lithography at this scale can be difficult due to the relatively large size of resist molecules and limitations of electromagnetic radiation. Scanning probes can be difficult to scale up (a large number of parallel tips, but control is cumbersome). Also, other depositions may not provide spatial atomic resolution.

[0137] Accordingly, in an embodiment, a scalable system is provided to ideally transfer particles (e.g., atoms, ions, etc.) onto a substrate with sub-NM accuracy. Generally, to effect the transfer, the particles are cooled (such that the particles have ultra-low energy spread) and multiple traps are used to confine / localize the particles. A particle delivery structure (e.g., electro-optics) is used to deliver the particles from the traps to the substrate in parallel with high accuracy. In an embodiment, a particle source generates a particle stream for subsequent trapping. In an embodiment, the particles are sufficiently cooled such that atoms can be trapped by the traps. Cooling can be performed in stages, typically starting with laser cooling (Doppler cooling). In an embodiment, the traps confine a number of particles within a volume. In an embodiment, the particles are independently trapped in a two-dimensional arrangement such that the particles can be delivered to the substrate in parallel to meet throughput. A typical trap for neutral atoms is a magneto-optical trap. Optionally, the 2D trap is generated using a strong laser. For charged particles, a Paul trap or a wire grid array trap can be used. Cooling and trapping can be repeated, i.e., the particles are continuously cooled while being trapped. In an embodiment, the particles are further locally trapped using a configuration such as optical tweezers or a Paul / wire grid array trap. This will achieve the desired accuracy. Optionally, the particles are charged (e.g., using the light of a laser) in order to use, for example, charged particle optics. In an embodiment, the particle delivery structure (e.g., electro-optics) then is used to deposit the particles on the substrate in parallel with high accuracy. For structural construction, the landing energy is ideally close to zero such that the particles remain in place. For implantation and etching applications, the landing energy can be (very) higher.

[0138] Embodiments are provided in accordance with the following numbered aspects:

[0139] 1. A particle transfer system, comprising:

[0140] a particle trapping device configured to trap a plurality of particles; and

[0141] a particle delivery structure configured to deliver the particles from the particle trapping device to a substrate in parallel.

[0142] 2. The system of aspect 1, further comprising: a particle source configured to provide a particle stream or a particle cloud to the particle trapping device.

[0143] 3. The system of aspect 2, wherein the particles are neutral.

[0144] 4. The system of aspect 2, wherein the particles are charged.

[0145] 5. The system according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein the particle trapping device forms a plurality of traps, each trap being configured to hold one or more particles.

[0146] 6. The system according to aspect 5, wherein the particle trapping device includes: one or more lasers configured to irradiate the particles to form the traps.

[0147] 7. The system according to aspect 5, wherein the particle trapping device includes: one or more electrodes configured to generate an electric field to form the traps.

[0148] 8. The system according to any one of aspects 1 to 7, further comprising: a particle cooling device for cooling the particles.

[0149] 9. The system according to aspect 8, wherein the particle cooling device includes: one or more lasers configured to irradiate the particles to cool the particles.

[0150] 10. The system according to any one of aspects 1 to 9, wherein the particle delivery structure includes charged particle optics.

[0151] 11. The system according to any one of aspects 1 to 10, wherein the particle delivery structure is configured to provide a reduction ratio.

[0152] 12. The system according to aspect 11, wherein the reduction ratio is selected from the range of 2 times to 1000 times.

[0153] 13. The system according to any one of aspects 1 to 12, further comprising: a particle positioning structure configured to provide positioning of the trapped particles of the particle trapping device.

[0154] 14. The system according to aspect 13, wherein the particle positioning structure includes: one or more lasers configured to provide a laser spot in a two-dimensional plane.

[0155] 15. The system according to aspect 14, wherein the laser spot is generated using a DMD or an SLM.

[0156] 16. The system according to aspect 13, wherein the particle positioning includes: one or more electrodes for providing positioning of the trapped particles of the particle trapping device.

[0157] 17. The system according to aspect 16, wherein the particle positioning structure is configured to provide a confinement potential, the confinement potential being configured to allow only a single particle in a region defined by the one or more electrodes.

[0158] 18. The system according to aspect 16 or aspect 17, wherein the particle positioning structure is configured to provide a confinement potential to position the position of the particle within 100 nm of a desired position.

[0159] 19. The system according to any one of aspects 16 to 18, wherein the one or more electrodes form a grid array of apertures, and a corresponding electric field is provided into the apertures.

[0160] 20. The system according to any one of aspects 16 to 19, wherein the one or more electrodes include at least two overlapping comb-shaped electrodes.

[0161] 21. The system according to any one of aspects 1 to 20, further comprising: a particle charging device configured to charge the particles.

[0162] 22. The system according to aspect 21, wherein the particle charging device includes: a laser for irradiating the particles to ionize the particles.

[0163] 23. The system according to any one of aspects 1 to 22, the system being configured to etch the substrate using the particles.

[0164] 24. The system according to any one of aspects 1 to 22, the system being configured to inject the particles into the surface of the substrate.

[0165] 25. The system according to any one of aspects 1 to 22, the system being configured to construct a structure by depositing the particles on the surface of the substrate.

[0166] 26. A pattern forming system for generating a pattern on a substrate, the system comprising:

[0167] a particle trapping device configured to trap a plurality of particles in a spatial arrangement; and

[0168] a particle delivery structure configured to deliver the particles from the particle trapping device to the substrate in the form of a pattern.

[0169] 27. The system according to aspect 26, further comprising: a particle source configured to provide a particle stream or a particle cloud to the particle trapping device.

[0170] 28. The system according to aspect 27, wherein the particles are neutral.

[0171] 29. The system according to aspect 27, wherein the particles are charged.

[0172] 30. The system according to any one of aspects 26 to 29, wherein the particle trapping device forms a plurality of traps, each trap being configured to hold one or more particles.

[0173] 31. The system according to aspect 30, wherein the particle trapping device includes one or more lasers configured to irradiate the particles to form the traps.

[0174] 32. The system according to aspect 30, wherein the particle trapping device includes one or more electrodes configured to generate an electric field to form the traps.

[0175] 33. The system according to any one of aspects 26 to 32, further comprising: a particle cooling device for cooling the particles.

[0176] 34. The system according to aspect 33, wherein the particle cooling device includes one or more lasers configured to irradiate the particles to cool the particles.

[0177] 35. The system according to any one of aspects 26 to 34, wherein the particle delivery structure includes charged particle optics.

[0178] 36. The system according to any one of aspects 26 to 35, wherein the particle delivery structure is configured to provide a reduction ratio.

[0179] 37. The system according to aspect 36, wherein the reduction ratio is selected from the range of 2 times to 1000 times.

[0180] 38. The system according to any one of aspects 26 to 37, further comprising: a particle positioning structure configured to provide positioning of the trapped particles of the particle trapping device.

[0181] 39. The system according to aspect 38, wherein the particle positioning structure includes one or more lasers configured to provide a laser spot in a two-dimensional plane.

[0182] 40. The system according to aspect 39, wherein the laser spot is generated using a DMD or an SLM.

[0183] 41. The system according to aspect 38, wherein the particle positioning includes one or more electrodes for providing positioning of the trapped particles of the particle trapping device.

[0184] 42. The system according to aspect 41, wherein the particle positioning structure is configured to provide a confinement potential, the confinement potential being configured to allow only a single particle in a region defined by the one or more electrodes.

[0185] 43. The system according to aspect 41 or aspect 42, wherein the particle positioning structure is configured to provide a confinement potential to position the position of the particle within 100 nm of a desired position.

[0186] 44. The system according to any one of aspects 41 to 43, wherein the one or more electrodes form a grid array of apertures, and a corresponding electric field is provided into the apertures.

[0187] 45. The system according to any one of aspects 41 to 44, wherein the one or more electrodes include at least two overlapping comb-shaped electrodes.

[0188] 46. The system according to any one of aspects 26 to 45, further comprising: a particle charging device configured to charge the particles.

[0189] 47. The system according to aspect 46, wherein the particle charging device includes: a laser for irradiating the particles to ionize the particles.

[0190] 48. The system according to any one of aspects 26 to 47, the system being configured to etch the substrate using the particles.

[0191] 49. The system according to any one of aspects 26 to 47, the system being configured to inject the particles into the surface of the substrate.

[0192] 50. The system according to any one of aspects 26 to 47, the system being configured to construct a structure by depositing the particles on the surface of the substrate.

[0193] 51. A particle transfer system, comprising:

[0194] a particle source configured to provide particles;

[0195] a particle cooling device configured to cool the particles;

[0196] a particle trapping device configured to irradiate a plurality of spatial positions to locally trap a single particle; and

[0197] a particle delivery device configured to deliver the charged particles to the substrate surface.

[0198] 52. The system according to aspect 51, wherein the particles are neutral.

[0199] 53. The system according to aspect 51 or aspect 52, further comprising: a particle charging device configured to provide charge to the trapped or previously trapped particles.

[0200] 54. The system according to any one of aspects 51 to 53, wherein the particle capture device forms a plurality of traps, each trap being configured to hold one or more particles.

[0201] 55. The system according to aspect 54, wherein the particle capture device comprises: one or more lasers configured to irradiate the particles to form the traps.

[0202] 56. The system according to any one of aspects 51 to 55, wherein the particle cooling device comprises: one or more lasers configured to irradiate the particles to cool the particles.

[0203] 57. The system according to any one of aspects 51 to 56, wherein the particle delivery structure comprises charged particle optics.

[0204] 58. The system according to any one of aspects 51 to 57, wherein the particle delivery structure is configured to provide a reduction ratio.

[0205] 59. The system according to aspect 58, wherein the reduction ratio is selected from the range of 2 times to 1000 times.

[0206] 60. The system according to any one of aspects 51 to 59, wherein the particle capture device comprises: one or more lasers configured to provide a laser spot in a two-dimensional plane.

[0207] 61. The system according to aspect 60, wherein the laser spot is generated using a DMD or an SLM.

[0208] 62. The system according to any one of aspects 51 to 61, the system being configured to etch the substrate using the particles.

[0209] 63. The system according to any one of aspects 51 to 61, the system being configured to inject the particles into the surface of the substrate.

[0210] 64. The system according to any one of aspects 51 to 61, the system being configured to construct a structure by depositing the particles on the surface of the substrate.

[0211] 65. A particle transfer system, comprising:

[0212] A particle source configured to provide particles;

[0213] A particle trapping device configured to generate a plurality of electric fields, each electric field at a different spatial location and each electric field configured to locally trap a single particle;

[0214] A particle cooling device configured to cool the particles; and

[0215] A particle delivery device configured to deliver the charged particles to a substrate surface.

[0216] 66. The system according to aspect 65, wherein the particles are charged.

[0217] 67. The system according to aspect 65 or aspect 66, wherein the particle trapping device includes: a plurality of electrodes configured to generate the electric fields to form a plurality of traps.

[0218] 68. The system according to any one of aspects 65 to 67, wherein the particle cooling device includes: one or more lasers configured to irradiate the particles to cool the particles.

[0219] 69. The system according to any one of aspects 65 to 68, wherein the particle delivery structure includes charged particle optics.

[0220] 70. The system according to any one of aspects 65 to 69, wherein the particle delivery structure is configured to provide a reduction ratio.

[0221] 71. The system according to aspect 70, wherein the reduction ratio is selected from the range of 2 times to 1000 times.

[0222] 72. The system according to any one of aspects 65 to 71, wherein the particle trapping device is configured to cause one or more electrodes to provide positioning of the already trapped particles.

[0223] 73. The system according to any one of aspects 65 to 72, wherein the particle trapping device is configured to provide a confinement potential configured to allow only the single particle in each electric field.

[0224] 74. The system according to any one of aspects 65 to 73, wherein the particle trapping device is configured to provide a confinement potential to position the position of the particle within 100 nm of a desired position.

[0225] 75. The system according to any one of aspects 65 to 74, wherein the particle trapping device includes: one or more electrodes forming a grid array of apertures into which the respective electric fields are provided.

[0226] 76. The system as described in aspect 75, wherein the one or more electrodes include at least two overlapping comb-shaped electrodes.

[0227] 77. The system as described in any one of aspects 65 to 76, the system being configured to etch the substrate using the particles.

[0228] 78. The system as described in any one of aspects 65 to 76, the system being configured to inject the particles into the surface of the substrate.

[0229] 79. The system as described in any one of aspects 65 to 76, the system being configured to construct a structure by depositing the particles on the surface of the substrate.

[0230] As used herein, the terms "radiation" and "beam" encompass all types of electromagnetic radiation, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation (e.g., having a wavelength equal to or approximately 365 nm, 355 nm, 248 nm, 193 nm, 157 nm, or 126 nm) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation (e.g., having a wavelength in the range of 5 nm to 20 nm), as well as particle beams, such as ion beams or electron beams.

[0231] The term "lens" can refer to any one or combination of various types of optical components (including refractive, reflective, magnetic, electromagnetic, and electrostatic optical components) when the context permits.

[0232] Embodiments of the present disclosure may take the form of: a computer program comprising one or more sequences of machine-readable instructions that cause the execution of sub-steps of a method or a larger method as disclosed herein; or a data storage medium (e.g., a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk) having the computer program stored therein. As will be appreciated, the instructions are executed by one or more processors or computer systems, which may include a network of computers. Additionally, the machine-readable instructions may be embodied in two or more computer programs. The two or more computer programs may be stored on one or more different memories and / or data storage media.

[0233] Any controller or control unit described herein may be hardwired to cause performance of applicable sub-steps of an applicable method or larger method disclosed herein. Any controller or control unit described herein may be operable separately or in combination when one or more computer programs are read by one or more computer processors located within at least one component of a device. The controller or control unit may separately or in combination have any suitable configuration for receiving, processing, and sending signals. One or more processors are configured to communicate with at least one of the controller or control unit. For example, each controller or control unit may include one or more processors for executing a computer program including machine-readable instructions for the methods or sub-steps described above. The controller or control unit may include a data storage medium for storing these computer programs and / or hardware for receiving the medium or one or more programs. Thus, the controller(s) or control unit(s) may operate in accordance with the machine-readable instructions of one or more computer programs.

[0234] Although the apparatus and processes described herein may be specifically referred to in the context of their use in IC fabrication, the apparatus and processes described herein may have other applications such as fabricating or repairing integrated optical systems, guiding and detecting patterns for magnetic domain memories, flat panel displays, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), thin film heads, masks / reticles for optical lithography or imprint lithography, etc. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in the context of these alternative applications, any use herein of the terms “wafer” or “die” may be considered synonymous with the more general terms “substrate” or “target portion,” respectively. As mentioned above, the substrates referred to herein may be processed before or after patterning in, for example, a track or coat develop system (a tool that typically applies a resist layer to a substrate and develops the exposed resist), a metrology tool, and / or one or more of a variety of other tools. The disclosures herein may be applied to such and other substrate processing tools. Additionally, a substrate may be processed more than once, for example to produce a multi-layer device, such that the term “substrate” as used herein may also refer to a substrate that already contains multiple processed layers.

[0235] References herein to exceeding or being above a threshold may include something having less than a particular value or less than or equal to a particular value, something having more than a particular value or more than or equal to a particular value, something ranked above or below something else based on, for example, a parameter (by, for example, classification), etc.

[0236] References herein to correcting an error or correction of an error include eliminating the error or reducing the error to an acceptable range.

[0237] As used herein, the terms "optimize" and "optimization" refer to or mean adjusting a patterning device, a patterning process, a manufacturing apparatus, etc., such that the result and / or process of patterning or other related processes has a desired characteristic, such as higher accuracy in applying a design layout on a substrate, a larger process window, etc. Thus, as used herein, the terms "optimize" and "optimization" refer to or mean a process of identifying one or more values for one or more variables that provide an improvement in at least one relevant metric, such as a local optimum, compared to an initial set of one or more values for the one or more variables. The terms "optimum" and other related terms should be interpreted accordingly. In an embodiment, the optimization step may be applied iteratively to provide a further improvement in one or more metrics.

[0238] In the optimization process of a system, a figure of merit of the system or process may be expressed as a cost function. The optimization process boils down to a process of finding a set of parameters (design variables) of the system or process that optimize (e.g., minimize or maximize) the cost function. The cost function may have any suitable form depending on the objective of the optimization. For example, the cost function may be a weighted root mean square (RMS) of the deviation of certain characteristics (evaluation points) of the system or process from their expected values (e.g., ideal values); the cost function may also be the maximum value of these deviations (i.e., the worst deviation). The term "evaluation point" herein should be interpreted broadly to include any characteristic of the system or process. Due to the practicality of the implementation of the system or process, the design variables of the system may be limited to a finite range and / or may be interdependent. In the case of a patterning device or a patterning process, the constraints are often associated with the physical properties and characteristics of the hardware (such as, a tunable range and / or manufacturability design rules), and the evaluation points may include parameters representing physical characteristics on the substrate (e.g., critical dimension, overlay accuracy, etc.), as well as non-physical characteristics such as focus, magnification, etc.

[0239] In the block diagrams, although the components shown are depicted as discrete functional blocks, the embodiments are not limited to systems where the functionality described herein is organized as shown. The functionality provided by each of the components can be provided by software or hardware modules and can be organized in a different manner than currently depicted, e.g., such software or hardware can be intermixed, combined, replicated, decomposed, distributed (e.g., within a data center or geographically), or otherwise organized differently. One or more portions of the functionality described herein can be provided by one or more processors of one or more computers executing program code stored on a tangible non-transitory machine-readable medium. In some cases, a third-party content delivery network may host some or all of the information conveyed via the network, in which case, in the event of purportedly supplying or otherwise providing information (e.g., content), the information can be provided by sending instructions to obtain the information from the content delivery network.

[0240] References herein to sides, tops, and bottoms are for convenience only and are not intended to be any type of limitation on the actual orientation of the tool. For example, in an embodiment, the top, bottom, and sides can refer to a tool arranged vertically. However, in an embodiment, the bottom and top can refer to a tool arranged horizontally, where the side view is a view seen from "above" or "below" in that horizontal arrangement.

[0241] Unless otherwise specifically stated, as will be apparent from the discussion, it will be understood that throughout the specification, discussion using terms such as "processing," "computing," "operating," "determining," etc., refers to the actions or processes of a specific device, such as a special-purpose computer or similar special-purpose electronic processing / computing device.

[0242] The reader will appreciate that this application describes multiple inventions. The applicant has grouped these inventions into a single document rather than separating those inventions into multiple separate patent applications because their related subject matter can be more economical during the application process. However, the distinct advantages and aspects of these inventions should not be conflated. In some cases, an embodiment addresses all of the deficiencies mentioned herein, but it should be understood that the invention is independently useful, and some embodiments only address a subset of these problems or provide other benefits not mentioned, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art reviewing this disclosure. Due to cost constraints, some of the inventions disclosed herein may not currently be claimed and may be claimed in a later application (such as a continuation application or by amending the claims). Similarly, due to space constraints, neither the "Abstract" nor the "Summary of the Invention" sections of this document should be considered to contain a comprehensive list of all of these inventions or all aspects of these inventions.

[0243] In view of this specification, modifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, this specification and the accompanying drawings should be understood to be merely illustrative and for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the general manner of implementing the present invention. It will be understood that the forms of the present invention shown and described herein should be regarded as examples of embodiments. Components and materials may replace the elements and materials illustrated and described herein, parts and processes may be reversed or omitted, certain features may be utilized independently, and features of embodiments or embodiments may be combined, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art after obtaining the benefits of this specification of the present invention. Changes may be made to the elements described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as described in the appended claims. The headings (if any) used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to limit the scope of the embodiments.

[0244] As used throughout this application, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning possible) rather than a mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Words such as "comprises," "comprising," and "includes" mean including but not limited to. As used throughout this application, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a" element and "an" element includes combinations of two or more elements, although other terms and phrases such as "one or more" may be used with respect to one or more elements. Unless otherwise indicated, the term "or" is non-exclusive, i.e., covers both "and" and "or." Terms describing conditional relationships, e.g., "in response to X, then Y," "after X, namely Y," "if X, then Y," "when X, Y," etc., cover causal relationships where the antecedent is a necessary causal condition, a sufficient causal condition, or a contributing causal condition to the result, e.g., "after condition Y obtains, namely state X occurs" is general for "X occurs only after Y" and "X occurs after Y and Z." These conditional relationships are not limited to results obtained immediately following the antecedent, as some results may be delayed, and in a conditional statement, the antecedent is connected to its result, e.g., the antecedent is related to the likelihood of the result occurring. Unless otherwise indicated, a statement that multiple characteristics or functions are mapped to multiple objects (e.g., one or more processors performing steps A, B, C, and D) covers both the case where all of these characteristics or functions are mapped to all of these objects and the case where a subset of the characteristics or functions is mapped to a subset of the objects (e.g., all processors perform steps A through D respectively, and where processor 1 performs step A, processor 2 performs steps B and part of step C, and processor 3 performs part of step C and step D). Additionally, unless otherwise indicated, a statement that a value or action "is based on" another condition or value covers both the case where the condition or value is a sole factor and the case where the condition or value is one of multiple factors. Unless otherwise indicated, a statement that "each" example of a certain set has a certain property should not be construed to exclude cases where some otherwise identical or similar members of the larger set do not have that property (i.e., each does not necessarily mean separately and every one).

[0245] In cases where certain U.S. patents, U.S. patent applications, or other materials (e.g., papers) have been incorporated by reference, the text of these U.S. patents, U.S. patent applications, and other materials is incorporated by reference only to the extent that such material does not conflict with the statements and specification drawings set forth herein. In the event of such conflict, any such conflicting text in such U.S. patents, U.S. patent applications, and other materials incorporated by reference is not specifically incorporated by reference herein.

[0246] The specification and the accompanying drawings are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, or alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The foregoing description of the specific embodiments fully discloses the general attributes of the invention, such that others may, without departing from the general concept of the invention, readily modify and / or adapt these specific embodiments for various applications by applying the knowledge known to those skilled in the art, without undue experimentation. Therefore, based on the teachings and guidance presented in the invention, it is desired that these adaptations and modifications fall within the meaning and scope of the equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It should be understood that the language or terminology herein is for the purpose of description by way of example and not of limitation, so that the terminology or language of this specification should be interpreted by those skilled in the art in light of the said teachings and guidance. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only by the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A patterning system for generating a pattern on a substrate, the system comprising: a particle capture device configured to capture a plurality of particles in a spatial arrangement; and a particle delivery structure configured to deliver the particles from the particle capture device to the substrate in a pattern, the particle capture device including a plurality of traps, each trap being configured to hold one or more particles, wherein the particle capture device includes one or more lasers configured to irradiate the particles to form the traps.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising: a particle source configured to provide a particle stream or a particle cloud to the particle capture device.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the particles are neutral.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the particles are charged.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising: a particle cooling device for cooling the particles.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the particle cooling device includes one or more lasers configured to irradiate the particles to cool the particles.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the particle delivery structure includes charged particle optics.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the particle delivery structure is configured to provide a reduction ratio.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the reduction ratio is selected from the range of 2 times to 1000 times.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising: a particle positioning structure configured to provide positioning of the trapped particles of the particle capture device.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the particle positioning structure includes one or more lasers configured to provide a laser spot in a two-dimensional plane, or wherein the particle positioning includes one or more electrodes for providing positioning of the trapped particles of the particle capture device.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the laser spot is generated using a DMD or an SLM.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the particle positioning includes one or more electrodes for providing positioning of the trapped particles of the particle capture device.

14. The system according to aspect 13, wherein the particle positioning structure is configured to provide a confinement potential configured to allow only a single particle in a region defined by the one or more electrodes.

15. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, the system being configured to etch the substrate using the particles, or being configured to inject the particles into the surface of the substrate, or being configured to construct a structure by depositing the particles on the surface of the substrate.

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