Axcelis Technologies, Inc.

Axcells Technologies, Inc.

Neil K Colvin

Tseh-Jen Hsieh

Neil J Bassom

Paul B Silverstein

David P Sporleder

Joshua M Abeshaus

Richard Rzeszut

John F Baggett

Michael Cristoforo

Joseph F Valinski

Edward Moore

Jincheng Zhang

Xiao Xu

Vladimir Romanov

Wendy Colby

Pradeepa Kowrikan Subrahmnya

William Davis Lee

Shu Satoh

Yongzhang Huang

Dennis Elliott Kamenitsa

Mike Ameen

Kevin J Hoyt

Fernando M Silva

Steven T Drummond

Michael Ameen

Neil Basson

An ion source has arc chamber having one or more radiation generating features, an arc chamber body enclosing an internal volume, and at least one gas inlet aperture defined therein. A gas source provides a gas such as a source species gas or a halide through the gas inlet aperture. The source species gas can be an aluminum-based ion source material such as dimethylaluminum chloride (DMAC). One or more shields positioned proximate to the gas inlet aperture provide a fluid communication between the gas inlet aperture and the internal volume, minimize a line-of-sight from the one or more radiation generating features to the gas inlet aperture, and substantially prevent thermal radiation from reaching the gas inlet aperture from the one or more radiation generating features.

Shielded gas inlet for an ion source

An arc chamber for an ion source provides a source of thermal radiation positioned within an interior region of the arc chamber. One or more components generally enclose the interior region of the arc chamber, defining an arc chamber environment within the interior region of the arc chamber. A thermal radiation shield is positioned between the one or more components and an external environment outside of the arc chamber and limits a transfer of the thermal radiation from the chamber environment to the external environment. The one or more components can be an extraction aperture plate having an extraction aperture defined therethrough. The thermal radiation shield is positioned proximate to, and covers at least approximately 75% of the exterior surface of the extraction aperture plate to primarily prevent thermal radiation for passing through the extraction aperture plate.

High temperature ion source

An ion source has an arc chamber defining an arc chamber volume. A reservoir is coupled to the arc chamber, defining a reservoir volume. The reservoir receives a source species to define a liquid within the reservoir volume. A conduit fluidly couples the reservoir volume to the arc chamber volume. First and second openings of the conduit are open to the respective reservoir and arc chamber volume. A heat source selectively heats the reservoir to melt the source species at a predetermined temperature. A liquid control apparatus controls a first volume of the liquid within the reservoir volume to define a predetermined supply of the liquid to the arc chamber volume. The liquid control apparatus is a pressurized gas source fluidly coupled to the reservoir to supply a gas to the reservoir and provide a predetermined amount of liquid to the arc chamber.

Hydraulic feed system for an ion source

An ion implantation system, ion source, and method are provided having a gaseous aluminum-based ion source material. The gaseous aluminum-based ion source material can be, or include, dimethylaluminum chloride (DMAC), where the DMAC is a liquid that transitions into vapor phase at room temperature. An ion source receives and ionizes the gaseous aluminum-based ion source material to form an ion beam. A low-pressure gas bottle supplies the DMAC as a gas to an arc chamber of the ion source by a primary gas line. A separate, secondary gas line supplies a co-gas, such as a fluorine-containing molecule, to the ion source, where the co-gas and DMAC reduce an energetic carbon cross-contamination and/or increase doubly charged aluminum.

Fluorine based molecular co-gas when running dimethylaluminum chloride as a source material to generate an aluminum ion beam

An ion source assembly and method has a source gas supply to provide a molecular carbon source gas to an ion source chamber. A source gas flow controller controls flow of the molecular carbon source gas to the ion source chamber. An excitation source excites the molecular carbon source gas to form carbon ions and radicals. An extraction electrode extracts the carbon ions from the ion source chamber, forming an ion beam. An oxidizing co-gas supply provides oxidizing co-gas to chamber. An oxidizing co-gas flow controller controls flow of the oxidizing co-gas to the chamber. The oxidizing co-gas decomposes and reacts with carbonaceous residues and atomic carbon forming carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide within the ion source chamber. A vacuum pump system removes the carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, where deposition of atomic carbon within the ion source chamber is reduced and a lifetime of the ion source is increased.

System and method for extending a lifetime of an ion source for molecular carbon implants

An ion implantation system, ion source, and method are provided, where an ion source is configured to ionize an aluminum-based ion source material and to form an ion beam and a by-product including a non-conducting material. An etchant gas mixture has a predetermined concentration of fluorine and a noble gas that is in fluid communication with the ion source. The predetermined concentration of fluorine is associated with a predetermined health safety level, such as approximately a 20% maximum concentration of fluorine. The etchant gas mixture can have a co-gas with a concentration less than approximately 5% of argon. The aluminum-based ion source material can be a ceramic member, such as a repeller shaft, a shield, or other member within the ion source.

Etching aluminum nitride or aluminum oxide to generate an aluminum ion beam

An ion source has an arc chamber having one or more arc chamber walls defining and interior region of the arc chamber. A cathode electrode is disposed along an axis. A repeller has a repeller shaft and a ceramic target member separated by a gap. The repeller shaft is not in electrical or mechanical contact with the target member, and the repeller shaft is configured to indirectly heat the target member. The target member, can be a cylinder encircling the repeller shaft, where the gap separates the cylinder from the repeller shaft. A top cap can enclose the cylinder can be separated from a top repeller surface of the repeller shaft by the gap. A target hole can be in the top cap. The target member can be supported by a bottom liner of the arc chamber or a support member mechanically and electrically coupled to the repeller shaft.

Ion source repeller

A terminal for an ion implantation system is provided, wherein the terminal has a terminal housing for supporting an ion source configured to form an ion beam. A gas box within the terminal housing has a hydrogen generator configured to produce hydrogen gas for the ion source. The gas box is electrically insulated from the terminal housing, and is further electrically coupled to the ion source. The ion source and gas box are electrically isolated from the terminal housing by a plurality of electrical insulators. A plurality of insulating standoffs electrically isolate the terminal housing from an earth ground. A terminal power supply electrically biases the terminal housing to a terminal potential with respect to the earth ground. An ion source power supply electrically biases the ion source to an ion source potential with respect to the terminal potential. Electrically conductive tubing electrically couples the gas box and ion source.

Hydrogen generator for an ion implanter

An ion source is configured to form an ion beam and has an arc chamber enclosing an arc chamber environment. A reservoir apparatus can be configured as a repeller and provides a liquid metal to the arc chamber environment. A biasing power supply electrically biases the reservoir apparatus with respect to the arc chamber to vaporize the liquid metal to form a plasma in the arc chamber environment. The reservoir apparatus has a cup and cap defining a reservoir environment for the liquid metal that is fluidly coupled to the arc chamber environment by holes in the cap. Features extend from the cup into the reservoir and contact the liquid metal to feed the liquid metal toward the arc chamber environment by capillary action. A structure, surface area, roughness, and material modifies the capillary action. The feature can be an annular ring, rod, or tube extending into the liquid metal.

Liquid metal ion source

A terminal system for an ion implantation system has an ion source with a housing and extraction electrode assembly having one or more aperture plates. A gas box is electrically coupled to the ion source. A gas source is within the gas box to provide a gas at substantially the same electrical potential as the ion source assembly. A bleed gas conduit introduces the gas to a region internal to the housing of the ion source and upstream of at least one of the aperture plates. The bleed gas conduit has one or more feed-throughs extending through a body of the ion source assembly, such as a hole in a mounting flange of the ion source. The mounting flange may be a tubular portion having a channel. The bleed gas conduit can further have a gas distribution apparatus defined as a gas distribution ring. The gas distribution ring can generally encircle the tubular portion of the mounting flange.

Hydrogen bleed gas for an ion source housing

An ion implantation system is provided having an ion source configured to form an ion beam from aluminum iodide. A beamline assembly selectively transports the ion beam to an end station configured to accept the ion beam for implantation of aluminum ions into a workpiece. An arc chamber forms a plasma from the aluminum iodide, where arc current from a power supply is configured to dissociate aluminum ions from the aluminum iodide. One or more extraction electrodes extract the ion beam from the arc chamber. A hydrogen co-gas source further introduces a hydrogen co-gas to react residual aluminum iodide and iodide, where the reacted residual aluminum iodide and iodide is evacuated from the system.

Hydrogen co-gas when using aluminum iodide as an ion source material

An insulator for an ion source is positioned between the apertured ground electrode and apertured suppression electrode. The insulator has an elongate body having a first end and a second end, where one or more features are defined in the elongate body and increase a gas conductance path along a surface of the elongate body from the first end to the second end. One or more of the features is an undercut extending generally axially or at a non-zero angle from an axis of the elongate body into the elongate body. One of the features can be a rib extending from a radius of the elongate body.

Growing community of inventors

Merrimack, NH, United States of America

Neil K Colvin