Burle Technologies, Inc.

Ronald Starcher

Bruce N Laprade

A means of neutralizing the excess charge on workpieces, such as semiconductor wafers, that results from ion-implantation processes, wherein the excess positive charge on a small area of the workpiece surface is locally sensed, and in response, an appropriate dose of charge-compensating electrons is delivered from an electron emission source to the area of excess charge on the workpiece. A charge-sensing probe and a voltage-controlled electron generator array are configurationally and operatively coupled in a closed feedback loop, and are made to scan the surface of the workpiece, in close but non-contacting proximity to the workpiece. Arrays of charge-sensing probes and electron generator arrays can be configured for rapid coverage of the implanted areas of the workpiece. The present invention has significant advantages over other methods, such as plasma and electron showers and plasma flood systems, for neutralizing the excess charge due to ion implantation.

Controlled charge neutralization of ion-implanted articles

A replaceable, electronically-isolated, MCP-based spectrometer detector cartridge with enhanced sensitivity is disclosed. A mass detector is electro-optically isolated from a charge collector with an electron multiplier for converting a charged particle into a multiplicity of electrons and a scintillator for converting the multiplicity of electrons into a multiplicity of photons. A light sensor is provided to convert the multiplicity of photons back into electrons which are summed into a charge pulse. The light sensor is realized by any of a plurality of photo-responsive devices.

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Brookfield, MA, United States of America

Ronald Starcher