Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.

Applied Materials, Inc.

Axcelis Technologies, Inc.

Jun Lu

Frank Sinclair

Bon-Woong Koo

Eric D Hermanson

Antonella Cucchetti

Michael D Johnson

Michael S DeLucia

Joseph E Pierro

Anthony Renau

Joseph C Olson

Donna Smatlak

Hans J Rutishauser

Paul A Loomis

Victor M Benveniste

Peter Lawrence Kellerman

Paul J Murphy

Daniel R Tieger

Michiro Sugitani

Edward K McIntyre

Michael Honan

Donald N Polner

Hiroshi Sogabe

Shane Conley

Gerald L Dionne

Donald E DeLuca

Toru Murakami

An aperture diaphragm capable of varying the size of an aperture in two dimensions is disclosed. The aperture diaphragm may be utilized in an ion implantation system, such as between the mass analyzer and the acceleration column. In this way, the aperture diaphragm may be used to control at least one parameter of the ion beam. These parameters may include angular spread in the height direction, angular spread in the width direction, beam current or cross-sectional area. Various embodiments of the aperture diaphragm are shown. In certain embodiments, the size of the aperture in the height and width directions may be independently controlled, while in other embodiments, the ratio between height and width is constant.

Dual XY variable aperture in an ion implantation system

An ion implanter may include an ion source, arranged to generate a continuous ion beam, a DC acceleration system, to accelerate the continuous ion beam, as well as an AC linear accelerator to receive the continuous ion beam and to output a bunched ion beam. The ion implanter may also include an energy spreading electrode assembly, to receive the bunched ion beam and to apply an RF voltage between a plurality of electrodes of the energy spreading electrode assembly, along a local direction of propagation of the bunched ion beam.

Apparatus, system and method for energy spread ion beam

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 method and apparatus for controlling deflection, deceleration, and focus of an ion beam are disclosed. The apparatus may include a graded deflection/deceleration lens including a plurality of upper and lower electrodes disposed on opposite sides of an ion beam, as well as a control system for adjusting the voltages applied to the electrodes. The difference in potential between pairs of upper and lower electrodes are varied using a set of 'virtual knobs' that are operable to independently control deflection and deceleration of the ion beam. The virtual knobs include control of beam focus and residual energy contamination, control of upstream electron suppression, control of beam deflection, and fine tuning of the final deflection angle of the beam while constraining the beam's position at the exit of the lens. In one embodiment, this is done by fine tuning beam deflection while constraining the beam position at the exit of the VEEF. In another embodiment, this is done by fine tuning beam deflection while measuring the beam position and angle at the wafer plane. In a further embodiment, this is done by tuning a deflection factor to achieve a centered beam at the wafer plane.

System and method for controlling deflection of a charged particle beam within a graded electrostatic lens

A system, method and program product for enhancing dose uniformity during ion implantation are disclosed. The present invention is directed to allowing the use of an at least partially untuned ion beam to obtain a uniform implant by scanning the beam in multiple rotationally-fixed orientations (scan directions) of the target at variable or non-uniform scan velocities. The non-uniform scan velocities are dictated by a scan velocity profile that is generated based on the ion beam profile and/or the scan direction. The beam can be of any size, shape or tuning. A platen holding a wafer is rotated to a new desired rotationally-fixed orientation after a scan, and a subsequent scan occurs at the same scan velocity profile or a different scan velocity profile. Also included is a method, system and program product for conducting a uniform dose ion implantation in which the target is rotated and tilted about greater than one axes relative to the ion beam.

Uniformity control multiple tilt axes, rotating wafer and variable scan velocity

A system, method and program product for enhancing dose uniformity during ion implantation are disclosed. The present invention is directed to allowing the use of an at least partially un-tuned ion beam to obtain a uniform implant by scanning the beam in multiple rotationally-fixed orientations (scan directions) of the target at variable or non-uniform scan velocities. The non-uniform scan velocities are dictated by a scan velocity profile that is generated based on the ion beam profile and/or the scan direction. The beam can be of any size, shape or tuning. A platen holding a wafer is rotated to a new desired rotationally-fixed orientation after a scan, and a subsequent scan occurs at the same scan velocity profile or a different scan velocity profile. This technique may be used independently or in conjunction with other uniformity approaches to achieve the required level of uniformity.

Uniformity control using multiple fixed wafer orientations and variable scan velocity

A variable aperture assembly (,) is provided for controlling the amount of ion beam current passing therethrough in an ion implantation system (,). The aperture assembly (,) comprises an aperture (,) defined by opposing first and second aperture plates (,A,,B) through which an ion beam passes; control arms (,A,,B) connected, respectively, to the first and second aperture plates (,A,,B); and an aperture drive mechanism (,) for simultaneously imparting movement to the control arms in opposite directions, to adjust a gap (,) between the aperture plates (,A,,B) to thereby control the amount of current passing through the aperture (,). Each of the opposite directions in which the control arms move is generally perpendicular to an axis along which the ion beam passes. A control system (,) is also provided for automatically adjusting the aperture gap (,) based on inputs representing actual ion beam current passing through the implanter, desired ion beam current, and aperture position. The control system (,) includes control logic (,) for receiving the inputs and outputting control signals (,) to the aperture drive mechanism to adjust the aperture gap.

Continuously variable aperture for high-energy ion implanter

A system and method are provided for operating a variable aperture (,) for adjusting the amount of ion beam current passing therethrough in an ion implantation system (,). The system and method comprise means or steps for (i) measuring ion beam current at an implanter location using a current detector (,); (ii) comparing the measured ion beam current with a desired ion beam current; (iii) outputting a control signal (,) based on the comparison of the measured ion beam current with the desired ion beam current; and (iv) adjusting a gap (,), through which through ion beam passes and which is defined by opposing first and second aperture plates (,A,,B), in response to the control signal to control the amount of ion beam current passing therethrough. The current detector (,) provides ion beam current feedback, and a position sensor (,) may be utilized to provide aperture plate (,A,,B) position feedback. The system and method provide a quick, direct, and precise mechanism for effecting significant changes in ion beam current without requiring re-tuning of the source. The gap (,) of the aperture (,) is adjustable in increments of about 5 microns (&mgr;m).

Method and system for operating a variable aperture in an ion implanter

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Beverly, MA, United States of America

Jun Lu