Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.

Applied Materials, Inc.

Other

Eric D Hermanson

Frank Sinclair

Russell J Low

Antonella Cucchetti

Bon-Woong Koo

Joseph C Olson

Anthony Renau

Kasegn D Tekletsadik

Steve Krause

Alexandre Likhanskii

Michael D Johnson

Jay Thomas Scheuer

Piotr R Lubicki

Jun Lu

Philip Layne

James Alan Pixley

Joseph E Pierro

Michael S DeLucia

Shengwu Chang

Robert J Mitchell

D Jeffrey Lischer

Robert C Lindberg

Stephen Krause

Thomas Stacy

Doug E May

Svetlana Radovanov

Paul J Murphy

Jonathan Gerald England

Christopher W Campbell

James Paul Buonodono

Lyudmila Stone

Rosario Mollica

Gordon Angel

Nevin H Clay

William Tyler Weaver

Jason M Schaller

Peter F Kurunczi

Timothy J Miller

Benjamin B Riordon

Kevin M Daniels

Tseh-Jen Hsieh

Steven M Anella

Kevin R Anglin

James S Buff

Christopher J Leavitt

Jeffrey Charles Blahnik

Vikram M Bhosle

Arthur H Clough

Tyler Burton Rockwell

Jordan B Tye

Richard M White

Joseph P Dzengeleski

Donna Smatlak

Charles L Stanley

Michael Rohrer

Brant S Binns

Steven C Borichevsky

Semaan Y Fersan

Gregory Citver

Scott W Nickerson

Mayur Jagtap

Ana Samolov

James W Blanchette

Douglas E May

James J Cummings

Sudhakar Mahalingam

Michael Simmons

James W Wilkinson

Kevin Verrier

Piortr R Lubicki

Randy Martin

Mark Donahue

A plasma doping system including a plasma doping chamber, a platen mounted in the plasma doping chamber for supporting a workpiece, a source of ionizable gas coupled to the chamber, the ionizable gas containing a desired dopant for implantation into the workpiece, a plasma source for producing a plasma having a plasma sheath in a vicinity of the workpiece, the plasma containing positive ions of the ionizable gas, and accelerating said positive ions across the plasma sheath toward the platen for implantation into the workpiece, a shield ring surrounding the platen and adapted to extend the plasma sheath beyond an edge of the workpiece, and a cover ring disposed on top of the shield ring and adapted to mitigate sputtering of the shield ring, wherein the cover ring comprises a crystalline base layer and a non-crystalline top layer.

Cover ring to mitigate carbon contamination in plasma doping chamber

A system and method for optimizing a ribbon ion beam in a beam line implantation system is disclosed. The system includes a calibration sensor disposed in the beam line after the mass analyzer. The calibration sensor is able to measure both the total current of the ribbon ion beam, as well as provide information about its vertical position. Information from the calibration sensor can then be utilized by a controller to adjust various parameters to improve the density as well as the vertical position. In some embodiments, the calibration sensor may include a plurality of Faraday sensors, where, both the total current and the vertical position of the ion beam can be determined. Furthermore, the focus of the ion beam can be estimated based on the distribution of the current in the height direction.

System using pixelated faraday sensor

A beamline ion implanter and a method of operating a beamline ion implanter. A method may include performing an ion implantation procedure during a first time period on a first set of substrates, in a process chamber of the ion implanter, and performing a first pressure-control routine during a second time period by: introducing a predetermined gas to reach a predetermined pressure into at least a downstream portion of the beam-line for a second time period. The method may include, after completion of the first pressure-control routine, performing the ion implantation procedure on a second set of substrates during a third time period.

Particle yield via beam-line pressure control

Provided herein are approaches for decreasing particle generation in an electrostatic lens. In some embodiments, an ion implantation system may include an electrostatic lens including an entrance for receiving an ion beam and an exit for delivering the ion beam towards a target, the electrostatic lens including a first terminal electrode, a first suppression electrode, and a first ground electrode disposed along a first side of an ion beamline, wherein the first ground electrode is grounded and positioned adjacent the exit. The electrostatic lens may further include a second terminal electrode, a second suppression electrode, and a second ground electrode disposed along a second side of the ion beamline, wherein the second ground electrode is grounded and positioned adjacent the exit. The implantation system may further include a power supply operable to supply a voltage and a current to the electrostatic lens for controlling the ion beam.

Electrostatic filter providing reduced particle generation

Disclosed is a semiconductor processing apparatus including one or more components having a conductive or nonconductive porous material. In some embodiments, an ion implanter may include a plurality of beam line components for directing an ion beam to a target, and a porous material along a surface of at least one of the plurality of beamline components.

Foam in ion implantation system

An ion source having dual indirectly heated cathodes is disclosed. Each of the cathodes may be independently biased relative to its respective filament so as to vary the profile of the beam current that is extracted from the ion source. In certain embodiments, the ion source is used in conjunction with an ion implanter. The ion implanter comprises a beam profiler to measure the current of the ribbon ion beam as a function of beam position. A controller uses this information to independently control the bias voltages of the two indirectly heated cathodes so as to vary the uniformity of the ribbon ion beam. In certain embodiments, the current passing through each filament may also be independently controlled by the controller.

Dual cathode ion source

A system and method for optimizing a ribbon ion beam in a beam line implantation system is disclosed. The system includes a mass resolving apparatus having a resolving aperture, in which the resolving aperture may be moved in the X and Z directions. Additionally, a controller is able to manipulate the mass analyzer and quadrupole lenses so that the crossover point of desired ions can also be moved in the X and Z directions. By manipulating the crossover point and the resolving aperture, the parameters of the ribbon ion beam may be manipulated to achieve a desired result. Movement of the crossover point in the X direction may affect the mean horizontal angle of the beamlets, while movement of the crossover point in the Z direction may affect the horizontal angular spread and beam current.

Ion beam quality control using a movable mass resolving device

Provided herein are approaches for increasing operational range of an electrostatic lens. An electrostatic lens of an ion implantation system may receive an ion beam from an ion source, the electrostatic lens including a first plurality of conductive beam optics disposed along one side of an ion beam line and a second plurality of conductive beam optics disposed along a second side of the ion beam line. The ion implantation system may further include a power supply in communication with the electrostatic lens, the power supply operable to supply a voltage and a current to at least one of the first and second plurality of conductive beam optics, wherein the voltage and the current deflects the ion beam at a beam deflection angle, and wherein the ion beam is accelerated and then decelerated within the electrostatic lens.

High-current ion implanter and method for controlling ion beam using high-current ion implanter

An apparatus may include a main chamber, an entrance tunnel, having an entrance axis extending into the main chamber, and an exit tunnel, connected to the main chamber and defining an exit axis, wherein the entrance tunnel and the exit tunnel define a beam bend of less than 25 degrees therebetween. The apparatus may include an electrode assembly, disposed in the main chamber, on a lower side of the exit tunnel; and a catch assembly, disposed within the main chamber, in a line of sight from an exterior aperture of the exit tunnel.

Electrostatic filter and ion implanter having asymmetric electrostatic configuration

Provided herein are approaches for increasing surface area of a conductive beam optic by providing grooves or surface features thereon. In one approach, the conductive beam optic may be part of an electrostatic filter having a plurality of conductive beam optics disposed along an ion beam-line, wherein at least one conductive beam optic includes a plurality of grooves formed in an exterior surface. In some approaches, a power supply may be provided in communication with the plurality of conductive beam optics, wherein the power supply is configured to supply a voltage and a current to the plurality of conductive beam optics. The plurality of grooves may be provided in a spiral pattern along a length of the conductive beam optic, and/or oriented parallel to a lengthwise axis of the conductive beam optic.

Electrostatic element having grooved exterior surface

Disclosed is a semiconductor processing apparatus including one or more components having a conductive or nonconductive foam material. In some embodiments, the component is a plasma flood gun including a shield assembly coupled to the plasma flood gun. The shield assembly may include a first shield having a first main side facing an ion beam target, and a connection block coupled to a second main side of the first shield. The shield assembly may further include a mounting plate coupled to the connection block, and a second shield coupled to the mounting plate by a bracket. In some embodiments, the first shield and/or one or more process chamber walls includes a foam material, such as a conductive or nonconductive foam.

Provided herein are approaches for reducing particles in an ion implanter. An electrostatic filter may include a housing and a plurality of conductive beam optics within the housing. The conductive beam optics are arranged around an ion beam-line directed towards a wafer, and may include entrance aperture electrodes proximate an entrance aperture of the housing. The conductive beam optics may further include energetic electrodes downstream along the ion beam-line from the entrance aperture electrodes, and ground electrodes downstream from the energetic electrodes. The energetic electrodes are positioned farther away from the ion beam-line than the entrance electrodes and the ground electrodes, thus causing the energetic electrodes to be physically blocked from impact by an envelope of back-sputter material returning from the wafer. The electrostatic filter may further include an electrical system for independently delivering a voltage and a current to each of the conductive beam optics.

Conductive beam optic containing internal heating element

Provided herein are approaches for in-situ plasma cleaning of one or more components of an ion implantation system. In one approach, the component may include a beam-line component, such as an energy purity module, having a plurality of conductive beam optics contained therein. The system further includes a power supply system for supplying a voltage and a current to the beam-line component during a cleaning mode, wherein the power supply system may include a first power plug coupled to a first subset of the plurality of conductive beam optics and a second power plug coupled to a second subset of the plurality of conductive beam optics. During a cleaning mode, the voltage and current may be simultaneously supplied and split between each of the first and second power plugs.

RF clean system for electrostatic elements

Growing community of inventors

Georgetown, MA, United States of America

Eric D Hermanson