Applied Materials, Inc.

Gregory Robert Alcott

Adrian John Murrell

Martin A Hilkene

Matthew D Castle

Geoffrey Ryding

Marvin Farley

Robert J Mitchell

Lee Spraggon

The present invention relates to components in an ion implanter that may see incidence of the ion beam, such as a beam dump or a beam stop. Such components will be prone to the ions sputtering material from their surfaces, and sputtered material may become entrained in the ion beam. This entrained material is a source of contamination. The present invention provides an ion implanter comprising power supply apparatus and an ion-receiving component. The component has an opening that receives ions from an ion beam such that ions strike an internal surface. The power supply apparatus is arranged to provide an electrical bias to the internal surface to decelerate the ions prior to their striking the surface, thereby mitigating the problem of material being sputtered from the surface.

Ion implanters

A guide tube for an ion beam in an ion implanter which is located adjacent a semiconductor wafer being implanted has an outwardly tapering central bore, thereby alleviating problems of beam strike as the ion beam passes through the guide tube.

Ion beam guide tube

The present invention relates to components in ion implanters having surfaces, such as graphite surfaces, adjacent to the path of the ion beam through the ion implanter. Such surfaces will be prone to sputtering, and sputtered material may become entrained in the ion beam. The present invention sees the use of surfaces that are formed so as to present a series of angled faces that meet at sharp intersections. In this way, any material will be sputtered away from the ion beam.

Components in an ion implanter that may see incidence of the ion beam include a chamber having an elongate slot opening defined by edges so that a central portion of the ion beam enters the component through the opening with the edges clipping at least a peripheral portion of the ion beam. The arrangement mitigates the problem of sputtered material escaping back out from the component and becoming entrained in the ion beam.

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West Sussex, United Kingdom

Gregory Robert Alcott