Fabrication of semiconductor devices typically involves a series of operations in which various materials are deposited onto and removed from a semiconductor substrate. One technique for material removal is ion beam etching, which involves delivering ions to the surface of a substrate to physically and/or chemically remove atoms and compounds from the surface in an anisotropic manner. The impinging ions strike the substrate surface and remove material through momentum transfer (and through reaction in the case of reactive ion etching).
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds