Applied Materials, Inc.

Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.

Jordan B Tye

Adam M McLaughlin

Craig Richard Chaney

Joshua M Abeshaus

Timothy J Miller

Mark R Amato

Eric D Hermanson

Steven M Anella

D Jeffrey Lischer

Christopher J Leavitt

Vikram M Bhosle

Brant S Binns

John R Fairhurst

Jeffrey D Susser

Sergio Alonso Gonzalez-Palavicini

Michael Blanchard

James A Pixley

A system for mounting the shield ring to the pedestal in a plasma chamber is disclosed. The mounting system includes compliant hardware. A fastener with a compliant component, such as an O-ring, is first secured to the pedestal. The shield ring has a top surface, a bottom surface and walls extending downward from the inner and outer diameter of the shield ring. Bores are located on the bottom surface of the shield ring. The bores of the shield ring are aligned with the fasteners and the shield ring is then pressed down onto the fasteners. As the shield ring is being pressed down, the walls of the bores force the compliant hardware to yield. When in place, the compliant hardware supplies the requisite compression force to hold the shield ring in place. The compliant hardware may be implemented in various manners.

Shield ring mounting using compliant hardware

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 cassette with embedded temperature sensors that is disposed within a load lock is disclosed. The temperature sensors may be disposed in a plurality of shelves of the load lock cassette to monitor the temperature of each of a plurality of workpieces disposed in the load lock. The output of these temperature sensors may be provided to a controller, which controls when the load lock is opened. The load lock cassette may also include cooling channels to accelerate the cooling of the workpieces to improve throughput. The cooling may be controlled using closed loop control, where a controller monitors the temperature of the workpieces during the cooling operation.

Load lock with integrated features

Thermally isolated captive features disposed in various components of an ion implantation system are disclosed. Electrodes, such as repellers and side electrodes, may be constructed with a captive feature, which serves as the electrode stem. The electrode stem makes minimal physical contact with the electrode mass due to a gap disposed in the interior cavity which retains the flared head of the electrode stem. In this way, the temperature of the electrode mass may remain higher than would otherwise be possible as conduction is reduced. Further, this concept can be applied to workpiece holders. For example, a ceramic platen is manufactured with one or more captive fasteners which are used to affix the platen to a base. This may minimize the thermal conduction between the platen and the base, while providing an improved mechanical connection.

Thermally isolated captive features for ion implantation systems

An ion source having a thermally isolated repeller is disclosed. The repeller comprises a repeller disk and a plurality of spokes originating at the back surface of the repeller disk and terminating in a post. In certain embodiments, the post may be hollow through at least a portion of its length. The use of spokes rather than a central stem may reduce the thermal conduction from the repeller disk to the post. By incorporating a hollow post, the thermal conduction is further reduced. This configuration may increase the temperature of the repeller disk by more than 100&#xb0; C. In certain embodiments, radiation shields are provided on the back surface of the repeller disk to reduce the amount of radiation emitted from the sides of the repeller disk. This may also help increase the temperature of the repeller. A similar design may be utilized for other electrodes in the ion source.

Thermally isolated repeller and electrodes

Provided herein are approaches for forming a conduit embedded within a component of a semiconductor manufacturing device (e.g., an ion implanter) using an additive manufacturing process (e.g., 3-D printing), wherein the conduit is configured to deliver a fluid throughout the component to provide heating, cooling, and gas distribution thereof. In one approach, the conduit includes a set of raised surface features formed on an inner surface of the conduit for varying fluid flow characteristics within the conduit. In another approach, the conduit may be formed in a helical configuration. In another approach, the conduit is formed with a polygonal cross section. In another approach, the component of the ion implanter includes at least one of an ion source, a plasma flood gun, a cooling plate, a platen, and/or an arc chamber base.

Semiconductor manufacturing device with embedded fluid conduits

Apparatus and methods for the selective implanting of the outer portion of a workpiece are disclosed. A mask is disposed between the ion beam and the workpiece, having an aperture through which the ion beam passes. The aperture may have a concave first edge, forming using a radius equal to the inner radius of the outer portion of the workpiece. Further, the mask is affixed to a roplat such that the platen is free to rotate between a load/unload position and an operational position without moving the mask. In certain embodiments, the mask is affixed to the base of the roplat and has a first portion with an aperture that extends vertically upward from the base, and a second portion that is shaped so as not to interfere with the rotation of the platen. In other embodiments, the mask may be affixed to the arms of the roplat.

Selective area implant of a workpiece

An ion beam manipulator including a suppression electrode, a ground electrode connected to the suppression electrode in a parallel, spaced-apart relationship therewith by three electrically insulating connectors, the connectors being spaced 120 degrees apart from one another around a circumference of the suppression electrode and the ground electrode, a plurality of linkages extending from the electrically insulating connectors, at least one of the linkages including a pair of parallel support arms connected at a first end to a corresponding one of the electrically insulating connecters by a first pair of universal joints and connected at a second end to a bracket by a second pair of universal joints, and a drive shaft extending from the bracket, the drive shaft coupled to an actuator configured to extend and retract the drive shaft along a longitudinal axis of the drive shaft.

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Arlington, MA, United States of America

Jordan B Tye