Eaton Corporation

Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.

Krytek Corporation

Other

Varian Associates, Inc.

Zymet, Inc.

Peter H Rose

Julian G Blake

Adam A Brailove

Piero Sferlazzo

Barbara J Hughey

Zhongmin Yang

Kenneth Harry Purser

Marvin Farley

Richard F McRay

Robert G Van Der Heide

Lee Grodzins

Eric L Mears

Michael C King

Frank R Trueira

A scheme for removing foreign material from the surface of a substrate by directing a high velocity aerosol of at least partially frozen particles against the foreign material to be removed. Different schemes are described for accelerating the frozen particles to very high velocities sufficient for particle removal, removal of organic layers (e.g., hard baked photoresist or ion implanted photoresist) and removal of metallic layers. In one embodiment, liquid droplets are entrained in a high velocity gas flow and the resulting gas/liquid mixture is passed through an expansion nozzle to produce a high velocity aerosol of frozen particles. In another embodiment, frozen aerosol particles are entrained in, e.g., a sonic or supersonic gas jet before impacting a surface to be cleaned. The cleaning aerosols may be applied to substrates inside a vacuum chamber or directly from a hand-held device. Also, various scanning systems are described for achieving substantially uniform exposure of the substrate to the cleaning aerosol.

Aerosol surface processing

An ion implantation system that rapidly and efficiently processes large quantities of workpieces, such as flat panel displays. The ion implantation system includes a high vacuum process chamber that mounts an ion source, a single workpiece translating stage, and a loadlock. The single workpiece handling assembly mounted within the process chamber both removes the workpiece from the loadlock and supports the workpiece during implantation by the ion beam generated by the ion source. The process chamber is in selective fluid communication with a loadlock assembly, which in turn is mechanically integrated with a workpiece loading or end station. Additionally, the workpiece handling assembly includes a translation stage or element for translating the workpiece in a linear scanning direction during implantation. This linear scanning direction extends along a path transverse or orthogonal to the horizontal longitudinal axis of the implantation system. According to one practice, the scanning direction and the longitudinal axis form an angle therebetween that is less than or equal to about 85 degrees.

Ion implantation system for implanting workpieces

In one aspect, foreign material on the surface of a substrate is processed to form a reaction product by: providing a directed flow of a fluid, comprising a reactant, to the vicinity of the foreign material to be processed; and delivering an aerosol of at least partially frozen particles continuously or intermittently to the foreign material to aid the reactant react with the foreign material to form the reaction product. In another aspect, foreign material is processed by: providing a directed flow of a fluid, comprising a reactant, to the foreign material to be processed in a limited area reaction region corresponding to a minor fraction of the total area of the substrate; agitating the foreign material in the limited area reaction region to aid the reactant react with the foreign material to form the reaction product; and providing relative motion between the substrate and the directed flow of fluid to achieve a substantially uniform exposure of the foreign material to fluid flow and the agitation. Infrared or ultraviolet radiation may also be delivered to the foreign material. Specific methods for processing oxide layers, organic layers and metal contamination are also described.

Processing a surface

A system and method for conductively and/or convectively transferring heat away from a workpiece that has been processed by a processing system, such as an ion implantation system. The conductive transfer of heat from the workpiece is effectuated by disposing the workpiece in relatively close proximity with a floor of a loadlock, which is maintained at a relatively cool temperature. The chamber pressure is disposed at a selected pressure by a pressure regulator and a vacuum pressure is applied to the backside of the workpiece closest to draw the workpiece into contact with the chamber floor, thereby effecting heat transfer from the workpiece to the cooling surface.

System and method for cooling workpieces processed by an ion

A high throughput ion implantation system that rapidly and efficiently processes large quantities of flat panel displays. The ion implantation system has an ion chamber generating a stream of ions, a plasma electrode having an elongated slot with a high aspect ratio for shaping the stream of ions into a ribbon beam, and an electrode assembly for directing the stream of ions towards a workpiece. The plasma electrode can include a split extraction system having a plurality of elongated slots oriented substantially parallel to each other. The ion implantation system can also have a diffusing system for homogenizing the ion stream. Various exemplary diffusing systems include an apertured plate having an array of openings, diffusing magnets, diffusing electrodes, and dithering magnets.

Large area uniform ion beam formation

A high throughput ion implantation system that rapidly and efficiently processes large quantities of flat panel displays. The ion implantation system has an ion source, an electrode assembly, a platform mounting a workpiece, and a ion beam measuring structure. The ion source in conjunction with the electrode assembly forms an ion beam in the shape of a ribbon beam. The ion beam is formed and directed such that a first portion of the ion beam treats the workpiece while a second portion of the ion beam is contemporaneously measured by the beam measuring structure. A controller obtains data from the beam measuring structure on the ion beam's parameters, and then generates control signals to the ion implantation system in response to the data.

Control mechanisms for dosimetry control in ion implantation systems

An ion source for generating an ion beam of primary ions is disclosed that includes a plasma chamber and magnets positioned therein for separating the primary ions of the plasma from secondary ions within the plasma. An electrode assembly extracts the primary ions through an extractor outlet port of the plasma chamber to form an ion beam, which preferentially is shaped as a ribbon beam. The primary ions are accelerated in the form of a ribbon beam toward the target workpiece for doping the device. The magnets are oriented in the chamber to produce a uniform current density of primary ions parallel to the elongated axis of the ribbon beam.

Plasma chamber for controlling ion dosage in ion implantation

The present invention provides a loadlock assembly for a high throughput ion implantation system that rapidly and efficiently processes large quantities of workpieces, such as flat panel displays. The loadlock assembly increases the throughput of the implantation system by continuously cycling workpieces through the process chamber, thus increasing the system's throughput. The loadlock assembly includes a plurality of loadlock stacking elements that are axially positioned relative to each other to form a stacked array of loadlocks. Additionally, the loadlocks of the array are configured to nest with an adjacent loadlock to form a stackable and nestable loadlock assembly.

Loadlock assembly for an ion implantation system

An ion accelerator for use in an ion beam implanter. The accelerator forms milliampere beams of heavy ions such as boron and phosphorous in a configuration in which the terminal ion source is replaced by a neutral beam injector. The neutral beam is formed at ground by the conversion of a focused beam of positive ions to neutral ions in a charge exchange canal. The neutral beam so formed is stripped of one or more electrons in a gas or vapor filled canal in the high voltage terminal. A 180.degree. analyzing magnet located in the high voltage terminal analyzes and directs a selected charge state to an acceleration tube parallel to the neutral beam injection tube where the selected positive ions are accelerated to ground potential. To extend the energy range of the accelerator below the injection energy, a high voltage insulator is provided to insulate the ground end of the positive ion acceleration tube permitting the acceleration tube and terminal to be uniformly biased at a negative voltage to decelerate the beam to very low energies at a location close to the point of use. An accelerator assembly includes a 90.degree. analyzing magnet in the high voltage terminal.

Ion accelerator for use in ion implanter

A scheme for producing ions of a selected ion species and a selected ion energy comprising: an ion plasma source for generating an ion source plasma from a selected source gas and having an ion exit aperture; an extraction electrode for extracting and for accelerating ions from the exit aperture of the plasma source, the extraction electrode being positioned in the vicinity of the ion exit aperture of the ion plasma source, the ion source being biased at a potential relative to the extraction electrode to achieve a selected ion beam energy; a magnetic structure having pole faces that define a magnetic deflection gap therebetween and having an ion exit region where ions exit the magnetic deflection gap, the ion plasma source and the extraction electrode being positioned in the magnetic deflection gap so that when the magnetic structure is energized ions extracted from the plasma source corresponding to the selected species are deflected about an angular beam path trajectory of at least ninety degrees before extracted ions reach the ion exit region and exit the magnetic deflection gap. An improved scheme for implanting ions produced by the above-mentioned scheme is also disclosed.

Producing ion beams suitable for ion implantation and improved ion

A microwave energized ion source apparatus is supported by a support tube extending into a cavity defined by a housing assembly and includes a dielectric plasma chamber, a pair of vaporizers, a microwave tuning and transmission assembly and a magnetic field generating assembly. The chamber defines an interior region into which source material and ionizable gas are routed. The chamber is overlied by a cap having an arc slit through which generated ions exit the chamber. The microwave tuning and transmission assembly, which feeds microwave energy to the chamber in the TEM mode, includes a coaxial microwave energy transmission line center conductor. One end of the conductor fits into a recessed portion of the chamber and transmits microwave energy to the chamber. The center conductor extends through an evacuated portion of a coaxial tube surrounding the conductor. A vacuum seal is disposed in or adjacent the coaxial tube and from the boundary between the evacuated coaxial tube and a non-evacuated region. The arc slit cap is secured to a chamber housing surrounding the chamber and is adapted to interfit with a clamping assembly secured to an end of the support tube such that the arc slit is aligned with a predetermined ion beam line. The energy transmission center conductor is coupled to a tuning center conductor which is slideably overlied by a pair of slug tuners. Moving the slug tuners along their paths of travel changes an impedance of the microwave energy input to the chamber.

Microwave energized ion source for ion implantation

A magnetic scanning technique for sweeping an ion beam across an implantation target, such as a semiconductor wafer, by means of modulating the energy of a beam and directing it through an analyzer magnet, which effects a scanning motion of the beam of constant intensity, the wave form for the modulation being selected to take into account that the areal density of the ions in the scanned beam varies dependently with the amount of displacement of the beam from a reference point. An ion scan can be obtained in which the ions travel in parallel paths and enter the target at a constant desired angle throughout the scan. The technique is applicable to targets held stationary or rotated during implant. By employing predetermined modulation wave forms which are adapted to other parameters of the selected system, a desired scan distribution of ions can be obtained, for instance a uniform distribution in X and Y directions. As applied to a semiconductor wafer rotated on a disc past the ion beam, the technique solves the problem of compensating for the fact that the area of a ring on the spinning disc depends linearly on the radius of the ring. The technique makes use of the properties of ion beams in uniform magnetic fields to produce a radial dependence of the density of the ion beam on the wafer which precisely cancels the radial dependence of circumferential length as a function of radius. The magnetic scanning technique is well adapted for use with large wafers held on rotating discs and has advantages over the conventional techniques of either electrostatic or mechanical scanning. The technique is readily adapted to a variety of other wafer transport systems including rotating conveyors and linear transports.

Treating work pieces with electro-magnetically scanned ion beams

Apparatus for accurately measuring the charge distribution, and hence the voltage, on a non-conducting workpiece during ion bombardment. The invention is based on the principal that the charge on the surface of the workpiece induces equal and opposite charge on the surface of an isolated proof plane conductor placed in front of it. A workpiece is moved at a known speed in front of the proof plane, whose dimensions are small compared to the workpiece. The measurement of the time distribution of the induced charge on the proof plane is a measure of the spatial distribution of the charge on the bombarded workpiece. The proof plane surface is isolated from currents which might flow directly to its surface. The invention has utility for several purposes important to the semiconductor industry: monitoring the surface voltage distribution on a given workpiece during ion bombardment; certification to the device user that the workpiece was implanted under specified values or limits of surface voltage distribution; control of the surface charge distribution on the workpiece through the feedback of the charge-measurement signal to a device which compensates the charge on the workpiece.

Growing community of inventors

N. Conway, NH, United States of America

Peter H Rose