Axcelis Technologies, Inc.

Eaton Corporation

James P Quill

A Stuart Denholm

Richard Rzeszut

Kevin R Verrier

A gas delivery system for an ion implantation system comprises a gas source at a first voltage potential and an ion source at a second voltage potential which is larger than the first voltage potential. The system further comprises an electrically insulative connector coupled between the gas source and the ion source. The present invention also comprises a method of delivering gas to an ion implantation system which comprises maintaining a voltage potential of a source gas at a storage location at a first voltage potential that is less than a second voltage potential at an ion source of the ion implantation system and delivering the source gas from the storage location to the ion source.

Bulk gas delivery system for ion implanters

An evacuation system for a chamber ( ) is provided, including a pump ( ) for removing gases and contaminants from the chamber. The pump has an outlet ( ) connected to an exhaust duct ( ). A collector trap ( ) for use in collecting contaminants evacuated from the chamber is positioned between the pump outlet ( ) and the exhaust duct ( ). The collector trap ( ) comprises: (i) a gas/contaminant separator ( ) having an inlet ( ) for introducing gases and contaminants therein, the separator ( ) functioning to physically separate the gases and contaminants; (ii) a contaminant collector ( ) for collecting the separated contaminants, the collector ( ) including an extractor coupling ( ) for allowing extraction of the contaminants from the collector; and (iii) an outlet ( ) for allowing the separated gases to exit the gas/contaminant separator ( ) and into the exhaust duct ( ).

Contaminant collector trap for ion implanter

A dual walled exhaust assembly (,) is provided for an ion implantation system for connecting system components residing at differing voltage potentials. The assembly comprises a disposable corrugated inner tube (,) connected between inner mounting portions of a first end mount and a second end mount, and a permanent outer tube (,) connected between outer mounting portions of the first and second end mounts. The inner and outer tubes (,) are constructed from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or some similar dielectric material with appropriate non-flammable properties. The inner corrugated surface of the tube (,) has a plurality of surfaces which are pitched downwardly toward an axis (,) of the inner tube to prevent contaminant accumulation. The corrugated surface also reduces the risk of arcing between the system components residing at differing voltage levels by effectively increasing the length of the ground path that a leakage current would need to traverse across the length of the tube. The outer tube provides a containment mechanism for containing the toxic effluent if the thinner inner wall should puncture, perhaps due to electrical discharge which might still occur as a result of contaminant build-up on the inner surface of the inner tube.

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Wakefield, MA, United States of America

James P Quill