International Business Machines Corporation

William W Hicks

John H Keller

Charles J Hendricks

Charles M McKenna

Joseph H Koestner

James A Seirmarco

John L Forneris

A plasma enhancing baffle plate is employed in conjunction with the anode of an RIE system to provide uniform silicon etching. The baffle plate is conductively coupled to and provided in relatively close proximity to the anode to form a constricted chamber region between anode and baffle plate. With the constricted chamber open to the RIE chamber through aperture means in the baffle plate the total surface area of the anode is increased, such that when the system is biased to operate in an RIE mode an increase in the generation of neutral etching species is effected. Various aperture arrangements may be employed to provide different patterns of neutral etching species generation, in accordance with the peculiar characteristics of the system employed.

Modified RIE chamber for uniform silicon etching

In an ion implantation apparatus, a beam defining member such as the acceleration plate is constructed such that the member is maintained at a temperature above the condensation point of the vapor emanating from the source of charged particles, thereby preventing the vapor from condensing on the member and providing a self-cleaning effect.

Radiation heated acceleration

In an ion beam apparatus a structure for controlling the surface potential of the target comprising an electron source adjacent to the beam for providing electrons to the beam and means between the target and source for inhibiting rectilinear radiations, i.e., electron and other particle and photon radiations between said source and said target. This prevents heating of the target by the electron source and cross-contamination between the source and the target. A further structure is provided for the measurement of the ion beam current while controlling said surface potential of the target which includes: walls adjacent to and electrically insulated from the target and surrounding the beam whereby the walls and target provide a Faraday Cage, means for introducing variable quantities of electrons into the beam within the Faraday Cage, means for measuring the target current, means for combining and measuring the target and wall currents to provide said ion beam current measurement and means for varying the quantities of introduced electrons to control the target current and thereby the target surface potential.

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Wappingers Falls, NY, United States of America

William W Hicks