Low Energy Ion Beam Etching
Abstract- Etch-rate profiles have been obtained for copper, tantalum, stainless steel and quartz using a commercial end-Hall ion source. These profiles can be used to predict uniformity and etch rates in practical etching configurations. Compared to a gridded ion source, the lower ion energy of an end-Hall ion source is offset in etching rate by its large ion-current capacity, while the lower ion energy can be a significant advantage in damage-sensitive etching applications.