Angled Ion Beam Etching for Variable Slant and Depth Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing angled etch systems require substantial hardware reconfiguration and are time-consuming when forming optical devices with structures having different slant angles or depths, leading to increased costs and non-uniformity in fabrication.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using a single angled etch system where the substrate is rotated to control slant angles without reconfiguring the ion beam chamber, by adjusting the rotation angle based on equations to achieve desired slant angles and varying the ion beam duty cycle to create depth variations across the substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If hardware reconfiguration is performed to change slant angles, then different slant angles can be achieved, but fabrication time and system complexity increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the ion beam system (beam angle, substrate rotation speed, beam duty cycle) rather than reconfiguring hardware. By varying these parameters during a single etch pass, structures with different slant angles are formed efficiently without time-consuming hardware reconfiguration
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate is rotated dynamically during the etch process to change the effective etch angle for different regions. This dynamic adjustment allows formation of multiple slant angles in a single pass, eliminating the need for static hardware reconfiguration between different angle requirements
2Adaptability or versatility
If hardware reconfiguration is performed to change slant angles, then different slant angles can be achieved, but device complexity and reconfiguration requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ion beam system is operated in a universal mode where a single configuration can produce multiple slant angles by varying operational parameters. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated hardware configurations for each angle, reducing system complexity while maintaining versatility
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of changing physical hardware configurations, the system uses parameter changes (rotation angle, beam angle, duty cycle) to achieve different slant angles. This approach simplifies the device by removing complex reconfiguration mechanisms while preserving the ability to produce varied structures
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple etch systems are used to form structures with different depths and slant angles, then fabrication flexibility improves, but costs and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple etching operations into a single ion beam system by using sequential etching passes with different parameter settings. This merging of functions into one system achieves the same flexibility as multiple systems would provide, but with reduced complexity and cost
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate is pre-positioned and pre-configured with layers before a single etch process. During this preliminary setup, all necessary information for creating varied structures is established, allowing the single etch system to produce complex depth and angle variations without needing multiple systems
4Manufacturing precision
If conventional processes are used to form structures with different depths, then depth variation can be achieved, but fabrication time and costs increase considerably
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate and layer structures are preliminarily configured with precise geometric relationships before etching. This preliminary action ensures that a single etch pass can create the desired depth variations efficiently, eliminating time-consuming conventional multi-step processes
Solution Approach 2:
The ion beam duty cycle and exposure time are varied during the etch process to control etch depth dynamically. This parameter control allows different regions to be etched to different depths in a single pass, achieving precise depth variation while maintaining high fabrication speed
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for the efficient formation of optical devices with varied slant angles and depths on a single substrate or successive substrates, reducing fabrication time and costs while maintaining uniformity, without the need for multiple etch systems or hardware reconfiguration.
Implementation Method 1
exposing a first material disposed across a first plane on a first substrate to an ion beam to form a first plurality of structures in the first material
Implementation Method 2
The ion beam source is configured to generate an ion beam... to generate a structure having a specific slant angle
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided. The method includes exposing a first material disposed across a first plane on a first substrate to an ion beam to form a first plurality of structures in the first material, the ion beam directed at the first material at an ion beam angle ϑ relative to a surface normal of the first substrate. The first substrate is positioned at a first rotation angle ϕ1 between the ion beam and a first vector of the first plurality of structures, the first material is exposed to the ion beam incrementally along a first direction, and exposure of the first material to the ion beam is varied along the first direction to generate a depth variation between the first plurality of structures in the first direction.