Ion implantation system, method and nontransitory computer-readable storage medium for ribbon beam angle adjustment

Abstract

This invention relates generally to ion implantation, and more particularly to a system and process for adjusting the angle of a strip beam in an ion implantation system. An exemplary ion implantation system includes an ion source configured to generate a strip beam, a wafer chuck configured to hold a wafer during the strip beam implantation, a dipole magnet disposed between the ion source and the wafer chuck, and a controller. The dipole magnet includes at least two coils configured to adjust the strip beam angle at one or more locations along the path of the strip beam between the ion source and the wafer held in the wafer chuck. The controller is configured to control the ion source, the wafer chuck, and the dipole magnet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates generally to ion implantation, and more specifically to a system and process for adjusting the angle of a strip beam within an ion implantation system. Prior Technology

[0002] In semiconductor device manufacturing, the physical and / or electrical properties of a semiconductor wafer (also known as a semiconductor substrate) can be modified through a process called ion implantation. Ion implantation can be performed using an ion implantation system, which may include an ion implantation system that generates an ion beam to implant ions into the wafer. The ion beam generated by the ion implantation system can be a strip beam, which is a type of ion beam composed of several sub-beams. Depending on which sub-modules of the ion implantation system the strip beam passes through, the angle between the different sub-beams of the strip beam can be important at different locations within the ion implantation system. Therefore, effective and accurate techniques are needed to adjust the strip beam angle during the ion implantation process. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates to an ion implantation system and process. An exemplary ion implantation system includes an ion source configured to generate a strip beam, a wafer chuck configured to hold a wafer during strip beam implantation, a dipole magnet disposed between the ion source and the wafer chuck, and a controller. The dipole magnet includes at least two coils configured to adjust the strip beam angle at one or more locations along the path of the strip beam between the ion source and the wafer held in the wafer chuck. A first current is applied to a first coil of the at least two coils, and a second current is applied to a second coil of the at least two coils. The strip beam angle is the angle between a first sub-beam and a second sub-beam of the strip beam, and the first and second sub-beams are adjacent sub-beams of the strip beam. The controller is configured to control the ion source, the wafer chuck, and the dipole magnet.

[0004] An exemplary nontransitory computer-readable storage medium includes one or more programs containing multiple instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a controller of an ion implantation system, cause the controller to: deliver a strip beam from an ion source of the ion implantation system to a wafer held in a wafer chuck; and adjust the strip beam angle of the strip beam at one or more locations along the path of the strip beam between the ion source and the wafer held in the wafer chuck using a dipole magnet comprising at least two coils, wherein a first current is applied to a first coil of the at least two coils and wherein a second current is applied to a second coil of the at least two coils, wherein the strip beam angle is the angle between a first sub-beam and a second sub-beam of the strip beam, and wherein the first sub-beam and the second sub-beam are adjacent sub-beams of the strip beam.

[0005] An exemplary method for providing a strip beam to a wafer in an ion implantation system, the ion implantation system comprising an ion source, a wafer chuck configured to hold the wafer, a dipole magnet comprising at least two coils disposed between the ion source and the wafer chuck, and a controller configured to control the ion source, the wafer chuck, and the dipole magnet, the method comprising: using the ion source to deliver the strip beam to the wafer held in the wafer chuck; and using the dipole magnet to adjust the strip beam angle of the strip beam at one or more locations along the path of the strip beam between the ion source and the wafer held in the wafer chuck by applying a first current to a first coil of the at least two coils and by applying a second current to a second coil of the at least two coils, wherein the strip beam angle is the angle between a first sub-beam and a second sub-beam of the strip beam, and wherein the first sub-beam and the second sub-beam are adjacent sub-beams of the strip beam. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0006] [Figure 1] shows a two-dimensional top perspective view of an ion implantation system based on many examples.

[0007] [Figure 2] illustrates a two-dimensional side perspective view of a dipole magnet and its corresponding ribbon beam according to many examples.

[0008] [Figure 3] shows a two-dimensional side perspective view of a dipole magnet and its corresponding ribbon beam according to many examples.

[0009] [Figure 4] illustrates a two-dimensional side perspective view of a dipole magnet and its corresponding ribbon beam according to many examples.

[0010] [Figure 5] illustrates a two-dimensional side perspective view of a dipole magnet and its corresponding ribbon beam according to many examples.

[0011] [Figure 6] shows a two-dimensional side perspective view of a dipole magnet and its corresponding ribbon beam according to many examples.

[0012] [Figure 7] illustrates a two-dimensional side perspective view of a dipole magnet and its corresponding ribbon beam according to many examples.

[0013] [Figure 8] illustrates a two-dimensional side perspective view of a dipole magnet and its corresponding ribbon beam according to many examples.

[0014] [Figure 9] shows a graph illustrating the effect of current on the beam angle of a strip beam based on the distance between the beam angle and the center of the strip beam, according to many examples.

[0015] [Figure 10] illustrates the electrode assembly and corresponding strip beam of an ion implantation system based on many examples.

[0016] [Figure 11] illustrates a two-dimensional side perspective view of a quadrupole magnet and its corresponding ribbon beam, based on many examples.

[0017] [Figure 12] illustrates a process for providing a strip beam to a wafer using an ion implantation system, according to many examples. Implementation

[0018] The following description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make and use various embodiments. The descriptions of specific systems, apparatuses, methods, and applications are provided by way of example only. Various modifications to the embodiments described herein will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the various embodiments. Therefore, the various embodiments are not limited to the embodiments described and shown herein, but are to be accorded the same scope as the claims.

[0019] Systems and processes are provided for effectively and accurately adjusting the strip beam angle throughout an ion implantation system. Specifically, this invention describes systems and processes for using multiple dipole magnets before and after the magnetic analyzer, multipole magnet, and other components of an ion implantation system to adjust the strip beam angle. These systems and processes enable more precise control of the strip beam angle, thereby controlling the strip beam throughout the ion implantation system. This, in turn, allows for greater flexibility in the ion implantation system while delivering the required ion implants to the wafer.

[0020] Figure 1 illustrates a two-dimensional top perspective view of an ion implantation system according to various paradigms. As shown, the ion implantation system 100 includes an ion source 102 and a capture manipulator 104 for generating a ribbon beam 105. The capture manipulator 104 captures the ribbon beam 105 from the ion source 102 and guides the ribbon beam 105 to a magnetic analyzer 108, where the ribbon beam 105 is filtered according to its mass, charge, and / or energy. The ribbon beam 105 is further guided through a multipole magnet 110, an electrode assembly 106, and a multipole magnet 114 to adjust the energy, shape, orientation, angle, and / or uniformity of the ribbon beam 105. In particular, the electrode assembly 106 is configured to adjust the energy of the ribbon beam 105, remove neutral substances from the ribbon beam 105, and / or adjust the size, shape, and uniformity of the ribbon beam 105. Multipole magnets 110 and 114 are configured to adjust the uniformity, center angle, and / or divergence angle of the strip beam 105. A variable aperture assembly 112 is located between the multipole magnet 110 and the magnetic analyzer 108. The variable aperture assembly 112 is configured to adjust the ion flow of the strip beam 105. The ion implantation system 100 further includes a wafer chuck 118 within a processing chamber 130, configured to position a wafer 116 in the path of the strip beam 105, thereby ion implanting the wafer 116.

[0021] The ion implantation system 100 further includes a controller 132, which includes a memory 134 (which optionally includes one or more computer-readable storage media), a processor 136, and an input / output (I / O) interface 138. The controller 132 is configured to control a number of other components of the ion implantation system 100.

[0022] The ion source 102 further includes a faceplate 128 on one side of the arc chamber 124. The faceplate 128 includes an exit aperture 126 (e.g., an arc slit) through which ions captured from the ion source 102 exit the arc chamber 124. For example, the exit aperture 126 may be a slit or slot configured to form a strip-shaped beam 105. In several examples, the faceplate 128 is coupled to a power source to bias the faceplate 128, thereby creating a potential difference (e.g., a capture voltage) between the ion source 102 and the capture manipulator 104 to generate the strip-shaped beam 105.

[0023] The strip beam 105 comprises multiple individual sub-beams, which are aligned in a straight line as the strip beam 105 exits the ion source 102. The strip beam 105 can contain any number of individual sub-beams as needed to transport charged ions from the ion source 102 to the wafer 116. Therefore, depending on the configuration of the panel 128 and the exit aperture 126, the strip beam 105 can contain 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, or more sub-beams. The angle between each pair of adjacent sub-beams is called the strip beam angle of the strip beam 105. Therefore, when n is the number of sub-beams constituting the strip beam 105, the strip beam 105 has n-1 strip beam angles.

[0024] As the strip beam 105 travels through the ion implantation system 100 and is delivered to the wafer 116, the strip beam angle of the strip beam 105 may need to be corrected to ensure that all sub-beams strike the wafer 116 and thus implant the desired ions. However, conventional systems and processes for generating the strip beam 105 may not include measures for correcting the strip beam angle. Therefore, as further described below, the ion implantation system 100 includes one or more dipole or quadrupole magnets at different locations along the path of the strip beam 105 to flexibly and reliably correct the strip beam angle of the strip beam 105.

[0025] The capture manipulator 104 includes a suppression electrode 120 and a ground electrode 122. The suppression electrode 120 is configured to prevent electrons from flowing back into the ion source 102, and the ground electrode 122 is coupled to a ground potential. This configuration enables the capture manipulator 104 to generate a ribbon beam by capturing ions from the ion source 102.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, a strip beam 105 is guided along a linear trajectory from the capture manipulator 104 to the magnetic analyzer 108. The magnetic analyzer 108 includes a yoke 107 and electromagnetic coils 109 wound around the opposite sidewalls of the yoke 107. The yoke 107 defines the channel through which the strip beam 105 travels through the magnetic analyzer 108. As shown, the strip beam 105 enters the magnetic analyzer 108 through a first opening 111 of the yoke 107 and exits through a second opening 113 of the yoke 107. The magnetic analyzer 108 is configured to generate a magnetic field that deflects the strip beam 105 in a specific direction (e.g., the x-direction). When deflected, ions in the strip beam 105 are filtered according to their energy and mass-to-charge ratio, such that only ions with the required energy and mass-to-charge ratio can pass through the magnetic analyzer 108 toward the wafer 116. In several examples, the magnetic analyzer 108 guides the ribbon beam 105 along a linear path from the opening 113 to the electrode assembly 106.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1, a strip beam 105 is guided through a variable aperture assembly 112 and a multipole magnet 110 between a magnetic analyzer 108 and an electrode assembly 106. The variable aperture assembly 112 includes two or more movable plates defining a variable aperture 115. These movable plates are configured to adjust the size and shape of the variable aperture 115, which defines the size and shape of the strip beam 105 exiting the variable aperture assembly 112. Furthermore, in several examples, the variable aperture assembly 112 adjusts the ion flow of the strip beam 105 by adjusting the size of the variable aperture 115.

[0028] The multipole magnet 110 is a magnet comprising an array of coils having more than four coils and thus multiple magnetic poles disposed on a ferromagnetic support (e.g., each coil has at least two magnetic poles). Electrical energy is supplied to the coil array to generate a magnetic field for each coil of the coil array, thereby generating multiple different magnetic forces acting on the strip beam 105 in different directions. Therefore, the magnetic field generated by the coil array can simultaneously adjust the size, shape, angle, and / or uniformity of the strip beam 105. For example, the multipole magnet 110 can generate an appropriate magnetic field to simultaneously control the size, current density, and shape of the strip beam 105.

[0029] Electrode assembly 106 is configured to accelerate and / or decelerate the ribbon beam to control its energy. Specifically, electrode assembly 106 includes multiple electrodes for manipulating the ribbon beam as it travels through electrode assembly 106. The ribbon beam can thus enter opening 117 with initial energy and exit opening 119 with a final energy different from the initial energy. In several examples, as further discussed below, dipole magnet 140 may be placed within electrode assembly 106, as shown in FIG. 1. Dipole magnet 140 may be placed within electrode assembly 106 before or after the ribbon beam 105 bends. Thus, dipole magnet 140 interacts with the ribbon beam 105 before or after it is accelerated or decelerated by electrode assembly 106.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the strip beam 105 exits the opening 119 of the electrode assembly 106 and is guided through the multipole magnet 114. In several examples, the multipole magnet 114 is the same as the multipole magnet 110 described above, and is therefore configured to adjust the shape, orientation, focus, and / or uniformity of the strip beam 105. Furthermore, in several examples, the multipole magnet 114 is configured to manipulate the strip beam 105 to strike the surface of the wafer 116 at a specific location or to allow the strip beam 105 to be adjusted to other positions. In other examples, the multipole magnet 114 may be configured to repeatedly deflect the strip beam 105 to scan the wafer 116 (which may be fixed or movable).

[0031] A wafer chuck 118 is configured to position a wafer 116 in front of a strip beam 105 exiting a plurality of magnets 114 for ion implantation into the wafer 116. In several examples, the wafer chuck 118 is configured to translate along one or more directions. For example, the wafer chuck 118 may be configured to move the wafer 116 relative to the strip beam 105 to scan the strip beam 105 across the entire wafer 116. In several examples, the wafer chuck 118 is configured to rotate the wafer 116.

[0032] It should be understood that wafer 116 may contain any suitable substrate for manufacturing semiconductor devices, solar panels, or flat panel displays. In the example where wafer 116 contains a semiconductor substrate (e.g., silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, etc.), wafer 116 may contain semiconductor devices at least partially formed thereon.

[0033] As shown in Figure 1, the ion implantation system 100 further includes one or more dipole magnets 140 located at different positions along the path of the strip beam 105. The dipole magnets 140 are configured to adjust one or more strip beam angles of the strip beam 105. As the strip beam 105 travels through multiple components of the ion implantation system 100 as described herein, individual sub-beams of the strip beam 105 may drift (e.g., due to magnetic fields generated by some components), causing one or more strip angles in the strip beam 105 to change. Therefore, the strip beam angle of the strip beam 105 can be corrected at multiple points in the ion implantation system 100, as described below. Furthermore, in several examples, the strip beam angle of the strip beam 105 can be adjusted before entering or after leaving one of the other components of the ion implantation system 100, so that the strip beam angle 105 is correctly manipulated by the components.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2, the dipole magnet 140 generates a single magnetic field 202 to influence one or more strip beam angles of the strip beam 105 with a single magnetic force. Specifically, the dipole magnet 140 includes a single coil or a single broken coil (e.g., a coil split in two) that generates the magnetic field 202. Therefore, the dipole magnet 140 generates a magnetic force that affects the individual sub-beams of the strip beam 105 in a single direction. This allows for fine-tuning in a specific direction to adjust or correct the strip beam angle of the strip beam 105 without affecting other characteristics of the strip beam 105 (e.g., overall shape or orientation). In this way, the dipole magnet 140 enables the strip beam 105 to be corrected in ways that would otherwise be difficult to perform using conventional multipole magnets (such as the multipole magnets 110 and 114 of the ion implantation system 100).

[0035] The strength of the magnetic field 202 is based on the size of the gap 204 between the two halves 206 and 208 of the dipole magnet and the currents 210 and 212 applied to the dipole magnet. Specifically, the strength of the magnetic field 202 is inversely proportional to the size of the gap 204 between the halves 206 and 208 of the dipole magnet 140. Therefore, the strength of the magnetic field 202 can be increased by decreasing the size of the gap 204. Similarly, the strength of the magnetic field 202 can be decreased by increasing the size of the gap 204. Therefore, in some examples, the size of the gap 204 is adjustable, which can be adjusted to increase or decrease the strength of the magnetic field 202.

[0036] In several examples, the size of the gap 204 is predetermined. Therefore, the size of the gap 204 can be predetermined and preset for a specific magnetic field strength 202. For example, if a specific type of correction for one or more angles of the ribbon beam 105 is known, the size of the gap 204 is predetermined to provide this type of correction for one or more angles of the ribbon beam 105 (e.g., convergent, divergent, or maintaining the same angle).

[0037] The strength of the magnetic field 202 generated by the dipole magnet 140 is also proportional to the currents 210 and 212 applied to the dipole magnet 140. Therefore, the strength of the magnetic field 202 can be increased by increasing the currents 210 and 212, and decreased by decreasing the currents 210 and 212. When the currents 210 and 212 increase or decrease equally, the strength of the magnetic field 202 is adjusted symmetrically to maintain a consistent strength. However, in some examples, the currents 210 and 212 can be adjusted differently (e.g., current 210 increases while current 212 does not) to asymmetrically adjust the strength of the magnetic field 202. For example, when current 210 increases while current 212 does not, the strength of the upper half of the magnetic field 202 will increase, while the strength of the lower half will remain unchanged. In this way, the magnetic field 202 can be adjusted based on the composition of the strip beam 105 so that the dipole magnet 140 can correctly adjust one or more strip beam angles of the strip beam 105.

[0038] Specifically, when the energy of the ribbon beam 105 is high and / or the ribbon beam 105 contains heavier ions, the strength of the magnetic field 202 should be high. Conversely, when the energy of the ribbon beam 105 is low and / or the ribbon beam 105 contains lighter ions, the strength of the magnetic field 202 should be low. Furthermore, in some cases, the energy of the ribbon beam 105 and / or the ion distribution in the ribbon beam 105 is non-uniform. Therefore, the strength of the magnetic field 202 is adjusted to match the varying energy and / or ion distribution by asymmetrically adjusting the currents 210 and 212 as described above.

[0039] In addition to the size of the gap 204 and the currents 210 and 212, the polarity of the dipole magnet 140 is selected to adjust one or more strip beam angles of the strip beam 105 in a specific manner. Furthermore, a specific type of dipole magnet can be selected depending on whether a portion or the entire strip beam 105 must be affected by the magnetic field 202.

[0040] In several examples, as shown in Figure 3, one or more dipole magnets 140 are dipole magnets 302, which are configured to reduce one or more strip beam angles 304 of the strip beam 105. Specifically, the dipole magnets 302 are configured to generate a magnetic field 306 that travels clockwise around the strip beam 105 and applies a force 308 to the strip beam 105, causing the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 to move closer together toward the center of the magnetic field 306. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the dipole magnets 302 are configured such that, on the right side of the strip beam 105, a first portion of the dipole magnets 302 has a south pole at the top of the strip beam 105 and a north pole at the bottom of the strip beam 105. Similarly, on the left side of the strip beam 105, a second portion of the dipole magnets 302 has a north pole at the top of the strip beam 105 and a south pole at the bottom of the strip beam 105.

[0041] This configuration of the dipole magnets 302 generates a force 308 acting on the strip beam 105 to reduce the strip beam angle 304 of the strip beam 105. Specifically, because the force 308 causes the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 to come closer together, each of the strip beam angles 304 between the individual sub-beams is reduced. Therefore, the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 are closer together after passing through the dipole magnets 302.

[0042] In several examples, a dipole magnet 302 is selected in the ion implantation system 100 for use at a position after the ribbon beam 105 exits an assembly of the ion implantation system 100. Specifically, the dipole magnet 302 may be used after the ribbon beam 105 exits the magnetic analyzer 108. Using the dipole magnet 302 after exiting the magnetic analyzer 108 to reduce the ribbon beam angle 304 of the ribbon beam 105 reduces the spread of the ribbon beam 105 and thus reduces the likelihood that one or more sub-beams of the ribbon beam 105 will come into contact with unwanted portions of the ion implantation system 100. Furthermore, by reducing the ribbon beam angle and thus reducing spread in this way, the dipole magnet 302 is configured so that the ribbon beam 105 can properly travel to the next assembly of the ion implantation system 100 (e.g., the variable aperture assembly 112). Similarly, the dipole magnet 302 may also be selected and implemented at several other locations in the ion implantation system 100 (including those shown in FIG. 1) to correct the deployment of the ribbon beam 105 so that the ribbon beam 105 can successfully travel through the ion implantation system 100.

[0043] In several examples, as shown in Figure 4, one or more dipole magnets 140 are dipole magnets 402, which are configured to increase one or more strip beam angles 404 of the strip beam 105. Specifically, the dipole magnets 402 are configured to generate a magnetic field 406 that travels counterclockwise around the strip beam 105 and applies a force 408 to the strip beam 105, causing the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 to move away from the center of the magnetic field 406 and thus become more separated. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the dipole magnets 402 are configured such that on the right side of the strip beam 105, a first portion of the dipole magnets 402 has a north pole at the top of the strip beam 105 and a south pole at the bottom of the strip beam 105. Similarly, on the left side of the strip beam 105, a second portion of the dipole magnets 402 has a south pole at the top of the strip beam 105 and a north pole at the bottom of the strip beam 105.

[0044] This configuration of the dipole magnets 402 generates a force 408 acting on the strip beam 105 to increase the strip beam angle 404 of the strip beam 105. Specifically, because the force 408 causes the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 to separate further, each of the strip beam angles 404 between the individual sub-beams increases. Therefore, the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 are further apart after passing through the dipole magnets 402.

[0045] In several examples, a dipole magnet 402 is selected in the ion implantation system 100 for use at a position before the ribbon beam 105 enters the components of the ion implantation system 100. Specifically, the dipole magnet 402 can be used after the ribbon beam 105 leaves the ion source 102 and before it enters the magnetic analyzer 108. Using the dipole magnet 402 before entering the magnetic analyzer 108 to increase the ribbon beam angle 404 of the ribbon beam 105 increases the spread of the ribbon beam 105 and ensures that each sub-beam of the ribbon beam 105 is properly affected by the magnetic analyzer 108. Furthermore, by using the dipole magnet 402 just before the ribbon beam 105 enters the components of the ion implantation system 100, the ribbon beam 105 travels from one component to another with a reduced spread, as discussed above. This reduces the chance of the ribbon beam 105 coming into contact with unwanted components in the ion implantation system 100 as it travels between components, and maximizes the exposure of the sub-beams of the ribbon beam 105 within the components. The dipole magnet 302 can also be selected and implemented at several other locations in the ion implantation system 100 (including those shown in FIG. 1) to correct the deployment of the ribbon beam 105, thereby enabling the ribbon beam 105 to successfully travel through the ion implantation system 100.

[0046] In several examples, as shown in Figure 5, one or more dipole magnets 140 are dipole magnets 502, which are configured to align the first sub-beam 506 and the second sub-beam 508 to be substantially parallel. In other words, the dipole magnets 502 are configured to adjust the strip beam angle 510 to zero, such that the first sub-beam 506 is parallel to the second sub-beam 508. Specifically, the dipole magnets 502 are configured to generate a magnetic field 504, which applies a force 512 to the strip beam 105. The force 512 causes the sub-beams 506 and 508 to move toward the center of the magnetic field 504 until they are parallel to each other and parallel to the other sub-beams of the strip beam 105.

[0047] In several examples, the dipole magnet 502 is selected in the ion implantation system 100 at locations where the uniformity of the strip beam 105 is important. For example, the dipole magnet 502 may be placed before the strip beam 105 enters the processing chamber 130 and interacts with the wafer 116, before the multipole magnet 114, before the electrode assembly 106, or within the electrode assembly 106 (e.g., in the middle). At these locations in the ion implantation system 100, it may be important that the individual sub-beams of the strip beam 105 travel along parallel or substantially parallel paths to interact with the components of the ion implantation system 100. In particular, ensuring that the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 are parallel when the strip beam 105 strikes the wafer 116 can increase the coverage of ion implantation of the strip beam 105 on the wafer 116. It is understood that it may be advantageous to keep the sub-beams of the ribbon beam 105 parallel at an earlier position in the ion implantation system 100, as the parallelism of the sub-beams through the ion implantation system 100 is maintained as the ribbon beam 105 passes through multiple components.

[0048] In addition to configuring the dipole magnet 140 to generate specific types of magnetic fields and forces to influence the sub-beams and increase or decrease the strip beam angle of the strip beam 105, the size of the dipole magnet 140 can also be selected based on which portions of the strip beam 105 (e.g., which sub-beams of the strip beam 105) should be acted upon. As described in more detail below, the dipole magnet 140 can be a short dipole magnet when a specific or partial portion of the strip beam 105 should be acted upon, and a long dipole magnet when all of the strip beam 105 should be acted upon. In this way, the dipole magnet 140 can be customized to affect all sub-beams of the strip beam 105 or a subset of the sub-beams of the strip beam 105.

[0049] In several examples, as shown in Figure 5, one or more dipole magnets 140 are short dipole magnets 502. These short dipole magnets generate a localized magnetic field 504, which is configured to adjust sub-beams 506 and 508 within a small portion of the ribbon beam 105. To generate this localized magnetic field, the dipole magnets are configured with short legs aligned with the magnets of the ribbon beam 105. Therefore, only the portion of the ion beam 105 aligned with the legs of the dipole magnets is affected by the magnetic field 504, as shown in Figure 5.

[0050] When a portion of the strip beam 105 has a strip beam angle that requires correction, a short dipole magnet, as depicted in Figure 5, is selected. For example, sub-beams 506 and 508 are on paths away from the rest of the strip beam 105. These paths would likely cause sub-beams 506 and 508 to interact with a portion of or one or a component of the ion implantation system 100 in an undesirable manner. Therefore, a short dipole magnet 502 is selected to specifically apply a magnetic field 504 to sub-beams 506 and 508, and to correct the strip beam angle 510 by making it zero. This makes sub-beams 506 and 508 parallel to each other and parallel to the other sub-beams of the strip beam 105.

[0051] As another example, two sub-beams (not shown) may be on paths leading to the center of the strip beam 105. These paths could cause the sub-beams to interact with other sub-beams of the strip beam 105, leading to contamination of both the sub-beams and the strip beam 105, resulting in the ion implantation being incorrectly implanted into the wafer. Therefore, short dipole magnets can be selected to specifically apply a magnetic field to the sub-beams and correct the strip beam angle between them to zero. This will cause the sub-beams to become parallel to each other, and the other sub-beams of the strip beam 105 to become parallel, so that the strip beam 105 is correctly delivered to the wafer through the ion implantation system 100.

[0052] In several examples, as shown in Figure 6, one or more dipole magnets 140 are elongated dipole magnets 602. These elongated dipole magnets generate a magnetic field 604, which is configured to adjust most of the sub-beams of the strip beam 105. Specifically, the elongated dipole magnets 602 are configured to adjust sub-beams 606, 608, 612, and 614, as well as the strip beam angles 610 and 616. To adjust all sub-beams 606, 608, 612, and 614, and the strip beam angles 610 and 616, the elongated dipole magnets 602 have long columns aligned with each designated sub-beam and more of the sub-beams in the strip beam 105. Thus, most or all of the strip beam 105 is acted upon by the magnetic field 604 because the long columns of the dipole magnets 602 are aligned with most of the sub-beams in the strip beam 105.

[0053] When most or all of the strip beam 105 has a strip beam angle that requires correction, an elongated dipole magnet, as depicted in Figure 6, is selected. For example, sub-beams 606, 608, 612, and 614 are all on paths extending from the center of the strip beam 105. If left unchecked, these paths would cause sub-beams 606, 608, 612, and 614 to miss unwanted portions or components of the ion implantation system 100 that need to be removed and / or touched. Therefore, an elongated dipole magnet 602 is selected to apply a magnetic field 604 to most of the strip beam 105 (including sub-beams 606, 608, 612, and 614). The magnetic field 604 adjusts the strip beam angles 610 and 616 to zero, making the sub-beams 606, 608, 612, and 614 substantially parallel.

[0054] As another example, some sub-beams may be on the path leading to the center of the strip beam 105. These paths could cause the sub-beams to collide with each other and interfere with the transfer of the strip beam 105 to the wafer. Therefore, a long dipole magnet can be selected to apply a magnetic field to all the sub-beams and correct the strip beam angle between them to zero. This will result in the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 being substantially parallel to each other, so that they can be transferred to the wafer. In this way, the strip beam angle between the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 can be corrected as desired to ensure that the strip beam 105 is correctly implanted into the wafer.

[0055] The selection of short or long dipole magnets can be based on the amount of correction required for the ribbon beam angle, other magnetic fields acting on the ribbon beam 105, the sub-beams of the ribbon beam 105 to be acted upon, the position of the dipole magnets in the ion implantation system 100, the energy of the ribbon beam 105, the mass of the ribbon beam 105, and the type of ions used in the ribbon beam 105.

[0056] In several examples, as shown in Figure 7, one or more dipole magnets 140 are wedge-shaped dipole magnets 702. In several examples, using dipole magnets as depicted in Figure 5 or 6 can produce substantially parallel sub-beams. Because the sub-beams are substantially parallel, the band angle between the sub-beams may not be zero, thus potentially resulting in slightly convergent or divergent paths for the sub-beams. In several examples, this may not be desirable, as the paths could cause the sub-beams to eventually collide with each other or with components of the ion implantation system 100.

[0057] In these examples, the wedge-shaped dipole magnet depicted in Figure 7 can be selected for use in the ion implantation system 100. The wedge-shaped dipole magnet 702 is configured to generate an asymmetric magnetic field 704 that interacts with the sub-beams 706 and 708 to correct the strip beam angle 710 to zero or near zero. This results in the sub-beams 706 and 708 being parallel and thus traveling the desired path. The wedge-shaped dipole magnet 702 is configured to generate the asymmetric magnetic field 704 by making the outer edge of its pillar longer than the inner edge of its pillar. This causes a wedge shape to be formed along the edge of each half of the dipole magnet, resulting in the force generated by the magnetic field 704 being stronger at the edges of the dipole magnet 702 and weaker at the center of the dipole magnet 702. This results in greater correction for the sub-beams 706 and others at the edges of the strip beam 105, and less correction for the sub-beams 708 and others near the center of the strip beam 105.

[0058] The wedge-shaped dipole magnet can be a long dipole magnet as shown in Figure 7 or a short dipole magnet in many examples. The choice of wedge shape may include considerations similar to those for choosing a short or long dipole magnet, including the amount of correction required for the strip beam angle, other magnetic fields acting on the strip beam 105, the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 to be acted upon, the position of the dipole magnet in the ion implantation system 100, the energy of the strip beam 105, the mass of the strip beam 105, and the type of ions used in the strip beam 105.

[0059] In several examples, as shown in Figure 8, one or more dipole magnets 140 have multiple coils (each with an individual adjustable coil current), such as dipole magnet 802. The operation of dipole magnet 802 is substantially similar to that of the various dipole magnets discussed above with reference to Figures 2-7. However, because dipole magnet 802 has multiple coils, each with an individual adjustable coil current, dipole magnet 802 can generate various magnetic fields, each of which interacts with different sub-beams of the strip beam 105 to correct for various beam angles of the strip beam 105.

[0060] In detail, the dipole magnet 802 includes coils 804, 806, 808, 810, 812, and 814. Each of coils 804, 806, and 808 has associated coil currents 816, 818, and 820, respectively, and paired coils 810, 812, and 814 have the same associated coil currents of opposite polarities. Therefore, a first magnetic field 822 is generated by coils 804 and 814 based on coil current 816, a second magnetic field 824 is generated by coils 806 and 812 based on coil current 818, and a third magnetic field 826 is generated by coils 808 and 810 based on coil current 820. Each of the magnetic fields 822, 824, and 826 can be changed independently by changing the coil currents 816, 818, and 820 respectively.

[0061] Furthermore, each of the magnetic fields 822, 824, and 826 acts on the sub-beams of the strip beam 105, causing the sub-beams to move closer together (e.g., converge), further apart (e.g., diverge), or remain substantially parallel based on the strength of the magnetic fields 822, 824, and 826 and the coil currents 816, 818, and 820. However, since each of the magnetic fields 822, 824, and 826 covers a different region of the strip beam 105, adjustments to individual sub-beams and beam angles can be achieved more precisely than when a single magnetic field is applied to the entire strip beam 105. In this way, some sub-beams of the strip beam 105 can converge under the influence of one of these magnetic fields, while other sub-beams of the strip beam 105 can diverge under the influence of different magnetic fields.

[0062] For example, when coil currents 816 and 818 are equal, coils 804 and 806 generate magnetic fields 822 and 824 with substantially similar strengths and forces acting in the same direction, to keep sub-beams 830 and 832 substantially parallel. Simultaneously, coil current 820 is substantially higher than coil current 818 to generate a stronger magnetic field, which causes sub-beam 834 to converge toward sub-beam 832, thus reducing the beam angle 833.

[0063] As another example, when coil current 816 is higher than coil current 818 and coil current 818 is higher than coil current 820, magnetic fields 822, 824, and 826 are respectively used to push sub-beams 830, 832, and 834 toward the center of the strip beam 105. This has the effect of reducing beam angles 831 and 833 and correcting the divergence of sub-beams 830, 832, and 834.

[0064] As another example, when the coil current 816 is lower than the coil current 818, the magnetic fields 822 and 824 interact to cause the sub-beam 840 to diverge and move away from the center of the strip beam 105. Therefore, the beam angle 839 between the sub-beams 838 and 840 increases. Simultaneously, the coil currents 818 and 820 are the same, causing the magnetic fields 824 and 826 to interact and keep the sub-beams 836 and 838 substantially parallel.

[0065] Therefore, in several examples, the dipole magnet 140 includes at least two coils, and a first current is applied to a first coil of the at least two coils and a second current is applied to a second coil of the at least two coils. In several examples, the first current and the second current are equal. In several examples, the first current is greater than the second current. In several examples, the second current is greater than the first current.

[0066] In several examples, the dipole magnet 140 includes three, four, five, six, seven, or more coils. Therefore, the dipole magnet 140 can contain any number of coils, each with a corresponding current applied to it. Thus, in several examples, a third current, a fourth current, a fifth current, etc., are applied to different coils of the dipole magnet 140 to generate multiple different magnetic fields, each interacting with a sub-beam of the strip beam 105.

[0067] It will be further understood that any combination of coil currents 816, 818, and 820 in strength and corresponding magnetic fields 822, 824, and 826 can be used, including the examples discussed above and other combinations not discussed. In this way, any combination of convergence, divergence, and beam angle maintenance of the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 can be achieved by combining different magnitudes and polarities of magnetic fields 822, 824, and 826.

[0068] Figure 9 illustrates the effect of current on the beam angle of the strip beam 105 based on the distance between the beam angle and the center of the strip beam 105. In detail, Figure 9 shows how the coil currents 816, 818, and 820 will have different effects on the beam angle located far from the center of the strip beam 105 when they are adjusted.

[0069] For example, when the coil current 816 is 25 A, the coil current 818 is 12.5 A, and the coil current 820 is 5 A, the magnetic fields 822, 824, and 826 have a significant impact on the beam angle away from the center of the strip beam 105, causing the beam angle to become less divergent. As another example, when the coil current 816 is 75 A, the coil current 818 is 37.5 A, and the coil current 820 is 15 A, the magnetic fields 822, 824, and 826 also have a significant impact on the beam angle away from the center of the strip beam 105, making the beam angle more convergent.

[0070] As another example, when the coil current 816 is 45 A, the coil current 818 is 22.5 A, and the coil current 820 is 9 A, the magnetic fields 822, 824, and 826 have a relatively small effect on the beam angle at all distances from the center of the strip beam 105. Although the beam angle furthest from the center of the strip beam 105 will still become more convergent or less divergent based on the influence of the magnetic fields 822, 824, and 826, this adjustment is much smaller than the adjustments made in the previous two examples.

[0071] Furthermore, in certain situations, such as those discussed above, the beam angle can be reduced to less than 0.5 degrees, thereby making the sub-beams substantially parallel to the entire strip beam 105. Specifically, as shown in Figure 900, when the coil current 816 is between 40 A and 50 A, the coil current 818 is between 20 A and 30 A, and the coil current 820 is between 5 A and 10 A, the beam angle is reduced to less than 0.5 degrees until it is 200 mm away from the center of the strip beam 105. This results in the individual sub-beams of the strip beam 105 being substantially parallel and traveling in a parallel manner. As mentioned above, this can contribute to the efficiency of the strip beam 105 when it impacts the wafer, and reduce the degree of contamination to the rest of the ion implantation system 100.

[0072] In several examples, the ion implantation system 100 includes a single dipole magnet 140. For instance, the ion implantation system 100 may include an elongated dipole magnet within the processing chamber 130, just before the wafer 116. This elongated dipole magnet adjusts the angle of one or more strip beams of the strip beam 105 such that the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 are substantially parallel when implanted into the wafer 116, thereby implanting the correct amount of ions.

[0073] As another example, the ion implantation system 100 may include a wedge-shaped elongated dipole magnet following the ion source 102 and preceding the magnetic analyzer 108. This wedge-shaped elongated magnet adjusts one or more strip beam angles of the strip beam 105 such that the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 are parallel from the beginning of the path of the strip beam 105 through the ion implantation system 100. This parallelism of the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 can be maintained throughout the ion implantation system 100 until the strip beam 105 contacts the wafer 216.

[0074] As another example, the ion implantation system 100 may include a short dipole magnet following the multipole magnet 110 and preceding the electrode assembly 106, configured to reduce the strip beam angle between two sub-beams of the strip beam 105. This short dipole magnet adjusts the two diverging sub-beams so that the strip beam angle between the two sub-beams is zero, thus making the sub-beams parallel. The dipole magnet corrects these sub-beams of the strip beam 105 so that they travel parallel to the paths of the other sub-beams of the strip beam 105, without affecting any of the components of the ion implantation system 100 as the electrode assembly 106 would. In several examples, the sub-beams may diverge due to the residual effect of the magnetic field generated by the multipole magnet 110 or other magnets present in the ion implantation system 100.

[0075] In several examples, the ion implantation system 100 includes multiple dipole magnets 140 located at different positions. For example, the ion implantation system 100 may include a first elongated dipole magnet and a second elongated dipole magnet, the first elongated dipole magnet being configured to increase one or more strip beam angles between sub-beams of the strip beam 105 before the magnetic analyzer 108, and the second elongated dipole magnet being configured after the magnetic analyzer 108 to decrease one or more strip beam angles between sub-beams of the strip beam 105. The first elongated dipole magnet increases the strip beam angle of the strip beam 105, causing the strip beam 105 to expand for processing within the magnetic analyzer 108. The second elongated dipole magnet decreases the strip beam angle of the strip beam 105, causing the strip beam 105 to contract as it travels to the next component of the ion implantation system 100 to avoid affecting other parts of the ion implantation system 100.

[0076] As another example, the ion implantation system 100 may include the first and second elongated dipole magnets discussed above in the same location performing the same function. Additionally, the ion implantation system 100 may include a third elongated dipole magnet within the processing chamber 130, just before the wafer 116. This third elongated dipole magnet adjusts the angle of one or more strip beams of the strip beam 105 such that the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 are substantially parallel when implanted into the wafer 116, thereby implanting the correct amount of ions.

[0077] As another example, the ion implantation system 100 may include a first elongated dipole magnet following the ion source 102 and preceding the magnetic analyzer 108, and a second elongated dipole magnet within the processing chamber 130, just preceding the wafer 116. Both the first and second elongated dipole magnets can be configured to adjust the strip beam angle between the sub-beams of the strip beam 105, such that the sub-beams are substantially parallel. By configuring the magnets to achieve the same objective at multiple points within the ion implantation system 100, the system can address any variations in the sub-beam paths that may occur between them. This increases the consistency of the ion implantation process, as the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 remain substantially parallel throughout the process.

[0078] In several examples, the electrode assembly 106 is a single bent beamline assembly 1006, as shown in Figure 10. Therefore, in several examples, the dipole magnet 140 is positioned outside the focusing electrode 1004 within the single bent beamline assembly 1006, and the focusing electrode 1004 is positioned after the bending and acceleration electrode 1002. Specifically, as the ribbon beam 105 enters the electrode assembly 1006, the ribbon beam 105 passes through multiple sets of electrodes to bend and accelerate or decelerate the ribbon beam 105 (depending on the current application of the ion implantation system 100). As described above, in several examples, the dipole magnet 140 may be positioned before the bending and acceleration electrode 1002 to ensure that the sub-beams of the ribbon beam 105 are substantially parallel.

[0079] However, the dipole magnet 140 can also be placed after the bending acceleration electrode 1002, as shown in FIG10. In this implementation, the dipole magnet 140 is placed outside the focusing electrode 1004. In several examples, the dipole magnet 140 is placed outside only one pair of focusing electrodes 1004. In other examples, as shown in FIG10, the dipole magnet 140 is placed outside the first pair of focusing electrodes 1004 and before the second (or more) pairs of focusing electrodes 1008. Placing the dipole magnet 140 outside the focusing electrode 1004 provides several advantages, including preventing the dipole magnet 140 from occupying space alongside the path of the strip beam 105. In this way, space is reserved for other components to interact with the strip beam 105, while still allowing the dipole magnet 140 to act on individual sub-beams of the strip beam 105 and increase or decrease the beam angle, as described above.

[0080] Furthermore, by placing the dipole magnet 140 after the bending accelerating electrode 1002, the dipole magnet 140 can cause a sufficient variation in the beam angle of the strip beam 105 with a smaller amount of coil current. This allows the dipole magnet 140 to more effectively resist low-energy ion beam divergence caused by space charge bursts. Moreover, this position of the dipole magnet 140 allows for any corrections to changes that occur during the interaction between the strip beam 105 and the bending accelerating electrode 1002, such as causing the sub-beams to diverge, converge, or become substantially non-parallel.

[0081] Furthermore, by placing the dipole magnet 140 outside the focusing electrode 1004 rather than after the focusing electrode 1008, the interaction between the electromagnetic field generated by the dipole magnet 140 and the electron shower that occurs after the focusing electrode 1008 but before the interaction of the strip beam 105 with the wafer is reduced. Therefore, the dipole magnet 140 will not suppress the electron shower, thus preventing the strip beam 105 from being less effective during wafer implantation. Moreover, ferromagnetic material can be inserted into the focusing electrode 1008 to further terminate the magnetic field generated by the dipole magnet 140 and reduce contamination of the electron shower.

[0082] It should be understood that the examples discussed above are illustrative, and the ion implantation system 100 may include any number of dipole magnets 140 in the various configurations discussed above to adjust the strip beam angle of the strip beam 105 as needed throughout the process of implanting ions into the wafer 116, thereby adjusting the strip beam 105.

[0083] In several examples, the ion implantation system 100 may optionally include one or more quadrupole magnets 142 attached to or replacing the dipole magnet 140. In several examples, the quadrupole magnet 142 is a quadrupole magnet 1102 as shown in FIG11. The quadrupole magnet 1102 includes a coil 1104 that generates a magnetic field 1106 and a coil 1108 that generates a magnetic field 1110. As shown in FIG11, the magnetic field 1106 and the magnetic field 1110 intersect such that both the magnetic field 1106 and the magnetic field 1110 exert different magnetic forces on the strip beam 105.

[0084] The forces exerted by magnetic fields 1106 and 1110 cause the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 to converge or diverge depending on the polarities of coils 1104 and 1108. Specifically, as described above with respect to dipole magnet 140, quadrupole magnet 1102 can be configured to generate magnetic fields 1106 and 1110, which cause sub-beams 1112 and 1114 to separate and further move away from the center of the strip beam 105. Therefore, when quadrupole magnet 1102 is configured in this manner, the strip beam angle 1116 increases.

[0085] Similarly, quadrupole magnet 1102 can be configured to generate magnetic fields 1106 and 1110, which cause sub-beams 1112 and 1114 to move closer together toward the center of the strip beam 105. Therefore, when quadrupole magnet 1102 is configured in this way, the strip beam angle 1116 decreases. In several examples, quadrupole magnet 1102 is configured to generate magnetic fields 1106 and 1110, which cause sub-beams 1112 and 1114 to separate or move closer together, making sub-beams 1112 and 1114 substantially parallel. Therefore, when quadrupole magnet 1102 is configured in this way, the strip beam angle 1116 can increase or decrease to become zero, which corresponds to the sub-beams 1112 and 1114 becoming substantially parallel.

[0086] In addition to affecting the expansion of sub-beams 1112 and 1114, magnetic fields 1106 and 1110 also cause the sub-beams of strip beam 105 to extend and become wider due to the magnetic force generated by the intersecting magnetic fields. Thus, in addition to adjusting the strip beam angle 1116 and other strip beam angles of strip beam 105, quadrupole magnet 1102 can also affect the overall shape and width of strip beam 105. Therefore, quadrupole magnet 1102 can increase or decrease the exposure of wafer 116 or other components of the ion implantation system 100 to the sub-beams and charged ions of strip beam 105.

[0087] Referring back to Figure 1, similar to the dipole magnet 140, the quadrupole magnet 142 can be placed anywhere along the path of the strip beam 105. Therefore, the quadrupole magnet 142 can be placed before a component such as the magnetic analyzer 108 to diverge the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 and increase the exposure of the sub-beams to the magnetic field of the magnetic analyzer 108. The quadrupole magnet 142 can also be placed after a component such as the magnetic analyzer 108 to converge the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 and guide them through the ion implantation system 100 along a clean path, avoiding collisions with other components of the ion implantation system 100. Furthermore, the quadrupole magnet 142 can also be placed between the multipole magnets 110 and 114 and before the wafer 116 to make the sub-beams of the strip beam 105 substantially parallel, thereby ensuring that the wafer 116 is properly exposed to the ions of the strip beam 105.

[0088] It can be further understood that the ion implantation system 100 may include any combination of quadrupole magnets 142 and dipole magnets 140 at different locations within the ion implantation system 100. For example, the ion implantation system 100 may include quadrupole magnets 142 before the magnetic analyzer 108 to diverge the sub-beams of the strip beam 105, quadrupole magnets 142 after the magnetic analyzer 108 to converge the sub-beams of the strip beam 105, and quadrupole magnets 142 before the wafer 116 to parallelize the sub-beams of the strip beam 105. As another example, the ion implantation system 100 may include a dipole magnet 140 before the magnetic analyzer 108 to diverge the sub-beams of the strip beam 105, a quadrupole magnet 142 after the magnetic analyzer 108 to converge the sub-beams of the strip beam 105, a dipole magnet 140 before a plurality of magnets 114 to make the sub-beams parallel, and a quadrupole magnet 142 before the wafer to correct sub-beams that are no longer parallel.

[0089] Furthermore, it should be understood that appropriate changes and modifications can be made to the ion implantation system 100. For example, the ion implantation system 100 may include additional components, such as additional electrodes and magnets for manipulating the strip beam 105. As another example, the ion implantation system 100 may include more than one variable aperture assembly for controlling the current of the strip beam 105. Note that, as shown in FIG1, all components of the ion implantation system 100 are located outside the processing chamber (e.g., processing chamber 130) of the ion implantation system 100, except for the wafer 116, wafer chuck 118, and dipole magnet 140 (which are located inside the processing chamber). In some examples, components of the ion implantation system 100 located outside the processing chamber of the ion implantation system 100 are coupled to the outer surface of the processing chamber 130. In some examples, components of the ion implantation system 100 located outside the processing chamber of the ion implantation system 100 are placed near the processing chamber but not coupled to the processing chamber. In any case, the components of the ion implantation system 100 located outside the treatment chamber of the ion implantation system 100 are positioned and configured in such a way as to allow the ribbon beam 105 to enter the treatment chamber 130 while maintaining the interior of the treatment chamber 130 in a high vacuum state.

[0090] As described above, the ion implantation system 100 further includes a controller 132. The controller 132 may be implemented on one or more independent data processing devices or a distributed computer network. Furthermore, although the controller 132 is illustrated as a single controller in FIG1, those skilled in the art will understand that the controller 132 may include any number of controllers necessary to perform the processing and functions of the controller 132 disclosed herein.

[0091] As shown in the figure, controller 132 includes memory 134, processor 136, and input / output (I / O) interface 138. I / O interface 138 facilitates input and output processing of controller 132. For example, I / O interface 138 may facilitate input and output processing of one or more input devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse, etc.) and / or one or more output devices (e.g., display), which are communicatively connected to controller 132 (e.g., via one or more wired connections) and can be used by the operator of ion implantation system 100 to observe and control the processing and functions of controller 132. Processor 136 utilizes memory 134 to execute instructions stored therein. In several examples, memory 134 includes random access memory (RAM), including but not limited to volatile RAM (e.g., DRAM, SRAM) and non-volatile RAM (e.g., NAND). In several examples, memory 134 further includes computer-readable storage media. In several examples, the computer-readable storage medium is tangible and non-transitory. For instance, memory 134 may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid-state memory devices. In several examples, the computer-readable storage medium of memory 134 stores one or more programs for execution by processor 136, the one or more programs containing instructions for performing any of the methods and processes described herein (e.g., refer to FIG. 12).

[0092] In several examples, controller 132 is configured to determine whether the sub-beams of strip beam 105 are parallel, and adjust one or more magnetic fields generated by dipole magnet 140 based on such determination that the sub-beams are not parallel. In several examples, controller 132 may monitor the parallelization of the sub-beams and adjust the magnetic field automatically in real time. In other words, controller 132 may determine whether one or more sub-beams of strip beam 105 are impacting a surface they should not be impacting, and adjust the configuration of dipole magnet 140 to correct the path of the sub-beams. In several examples, controller 132 may determine whether one or more sub-beams of strip beam 105 are not parallel after strip beam 105 is implanted into wafer 116. For example, controller 132 may contact one or more sensors contained in processing chamber 130 to determine which portion of the sub-beams of strip beam 105 is impacting the wafer and adjust dipole magnet 140 accordingly.

[0093] In several examples, controller 132 adjusts the magnetic field generated by dipole magnet 140 by adjusting the current applied to dipole magnet 140. For example, controller 132 may determine that the magnetic field strength should be increased based on the current of strip beam 105, and therefore may increase the current applied to dipole magnet 140. In several examples, controller 132 adjusts the magnetic field generated by dipole magnet 140 by adjusting multiple currents applied to dipole magnet 140. For example, controller 132 may determine that the magnetic field strength should be increased in one part and kept the same in another part. Therefore, controller 132 may increase the first current applied to dipole magnet 140 associated with the first part of the magnetic field and keep the second current applied to dipole magnet 140 associated with the second part of the magnetic field the same.

[0094] In several examples, controller 132 adjusts the magnetic field generated by dipole magnet 140 by adjusting the gap between the dipole magnets. For instance, controller 132 may determine that the strength of the magnetic field should be increased based on the current of the strip beam 105, and therefore may move the two parts of dipole magnet 140 closer together to adjust the gap between dipole magnet 140, thereby adjusting the established magnetic field.

[0095] Figure 12 illustrates a process for providing a strip beam to a wafer using an ion implantation system, according to various examples. In several examples, process 1200 is performed by a system similar to or identical to system 100 described above with reference to Figures 1-11. Process 1200 is described below with reference to Figures 1-11 as well.

[0096] In step 1202, process 1200 causes the ion source (e.g., ion source 102) of the ion implantation system (e.g., ion implantation system 100) to generate a strip beam (e.g., strip beam 105). In several examples, the band beam includes a first sub-beam (e.g., sub-beams 506, 508, 606, 608, 612, 614, 706, 708, 830, 832, 834, 836, 838, 840, 1112, and 1114) and a second sub-beam (e.g., sub-beams 506, 508, 606, 608, 612, 614, 706, 708, 830, 832, 834, 836, 838, 840, 1112, and 1114), and a band beam angle between the first and second sub-beams (e.g., band beam angles 304, 404, 510, 610, 616, 710, 831, 833, 839, and 1116). In several examples, the band beam includes a third sub-beam (e.g., sub-beams 506, 508, 606, 608, 612, 614, 706, 708, 830, 832, 834, 836, 838, 840, 1112, and 1114) and a fourth sub-beam (e.g., sub-beams 506, 508, 606, 608, 612, 614, 706, 708, 830, 832, 834, 836, 838, 840, 1112, and 1114), and a second band beam angle between the third sub-beam and the first sub-beam (e.g., band beam angles 304, 404, 510, 610, 616, 710, 831, 833, 839, and 1116). In several examples, the first and second sub-beams are adjacent sub-beams. Similarly, the third and fourth sub-beams are adjacent sub-beams. In several examples, the first and second sub-beams are opposite to the third and fourth sub-beams.

[0097] In step 1204, process 1200 causes a magnetic analyzer (e.g., magnetic analyzer 108) to adjust the path of a strip beam (e.g., strip beam 105) toward a wafer (e.g., wafer 116) held in a wafer chuck (e.g., wafer chuck 118) of an ion implantation system (e.g., ion implantation system 100). In several examples, one or more other components of the ion implantation system (e.g., ion implantation system 100) (e.g., multipole magnet 110, electrode assembly 106, multipole magnet 114, and variable aperture assembly 112) interact with the strip beam along the path toward the wafer.

[0098] In step 1206, process 1200 adjusts the strip beam angle (e.g., strip beam angles 304, 404, 510, 610, 616, 710, 831, and 1116) of the strip beam (e.g., strip beam 105) at one or more locations along the path of the strip beam (e.g., strip beam 105). In several examples, the gap between the dipole magnets is determined based on at least one of the energy or mass of the strip beam. In several examples, the dipole magnet adjusts the second strip beam angle (e.g., strip beam angles 304, 404, 510, 610, 616, 710, 831, 833, 839, and 1116) between the third sub-beam (e.g., sub-beams 506, 508, 606, 608, 612, 614, 706, 708, 830, 832, 834, 836, 838, 840, 1112, and 1114) and the fourth sub-beam (e.g., sub-beams 506, 508, 606, 608, 612, 614, 706, 708, 830, 832, 834, 836, 838, 840, 1112, and 1114). In several examples, the dipole magnet includes at least two coils (e.g., coils 804, 806, 808, 810, 812, and 814). In several examples, a first current (e.g., currents 816, 818, and 820) is applied to the first coil of the at least two coils (e.g., coils 804, 806, 808, 810, 812, and 814), and a second current (e.g., currents 816, 818, and 820) is applied to the second coil of the at least two coils (e.g., coils 804, 806, 808, 810, 812, and 814). In several examples, the first current and the second current are the same. In several examples, the first current is less than the second current. In several examples, the second current is less than the first current.

[0099] In several examples, dipole magnets (e.g., dipole magnets 140, 200, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, and 802) reduce the strip beam angle (e.g., strip beam angles 304, 404, 510, 610, 616, 710, 831, 833, 839, and 1116). In several examples, dipole magnets increase the strip beam angle. In several examples, the dipole magnets are elongated dipole magnets and the first sub-beams (e.g., sub-beams 506, 508, 606, 608, 612, 614, 706, 708, 830, 832, 834, 836, 838, 840, 1112, and 1114) and the second sub-beams (e.g., sub-beams 506, 508, 606, 608, 612, 614, 706, 708, 830, 832, 834, 836, 838, 840, 1112, and 1114) are adjusted to be substantially parallel. In several examples, the dipole magnets are wedge magnets. In several examples, the first and third sub-beams (e.g., sub-beams 506, 508, 606, 608, 612, 614, 706, 708, 830, 832, 834, 836, 838, 840, 1112, and 1114) are parallel after passing through the dipole magnet.

[0100] In several examples, a dipole magnet (e.g., dipole magnets 140, 202, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, and 802) is positioned between an ion source (e.g., ion source 102) and a magnetic analyzer (e.g., magnetic analyzer 108) of an ion implantation system (e.g., ion implantation system 100). In several examples, a second dipole magnet (e.g., dipole magnets 140, 202, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, and 802) is positioned between the magnetic analyzer and a multipole magnet (e.g., multipole magnets 110, 114). In several examples, a first dipole magnet increases the strip beam angle (e.g., strip beam angles 304, 404, 510, 610, 616, 710, 831, 833, 839, and 1116), and a second dipole magnet decreases the strip beam angle. In several examples, a third dipole magnet (e.g., dipole magnets 140, 202, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, and 802) adjusts a first sub-beam (e.g., sub-beams 506, 508, 606, 608, 612, 614, 706, 708, 830, 832, 834, 836, 838, 840, 1112, and 1114) and a second sub-beam (e.g., sub-beams 506, 508, 606, 608, 612, 614, 706, 708, 830, 832, 834, 836, 838, 840, 1112, and 1114) to be substantially parallel.

[0101] In step 1208, the controller (e.g., controller 132) determines whether the first sub-beam (e.g., sub-beams 506, 508, 606, 608, 612, 614, 706, 708, 1112, and 1114) is parallel to the second sub-beam (e.g., sub-beams 506, 508, 606, 608, 612, 614, 706, 708, 830, 832, 834, 836, 838, 840, 1112, and 1114). In step 1210, based on the determination that the first sub-beam and the second sub-beam are not parallel, the controller adjusts the magnetic field generated by the dipole magnets (e.g., dipole magnets 140, 202, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, and 802) (e.g., magnetic fields 202, 304, 404, 504, 604, 704, 822, 824, and 826). In some examples, the magnetic field generated by the dipole magnets is adjusted by adjusting the current applied to the dipole magnets. In some examples, the magnetic field generated by the dipole magnets is adjusted by adjusting the gap between the dipole magnets.

[0102] In step 1212, based on the determination of the first sub-beam (e.g., sub-beams 506, 508, 606, 608, 612, 614, 706, 708, 830, 832, 834, 836, 838, 840, 1112, and 1114) and the second sub-beam (e.g., sub-beams 506, 508, 606, 608, 612, 614, 706, 708, 830, 832, 834, 836, 838, 840, 1112, and 1114), 30, 832, 834, 836, 838, 840, 1112 and 1114) are parallel, and the controller does not adjust the magnetic field generated by the dipole magnets (e.g., dipole magnets 140, 202, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702 and 802) (e.g. magnetic fields 202, 304, 404, 504, 604, 704, 822, 824 and 826).

[0103] In several examples, a controller (e.g., controller 132) is configured to determine whether a first strip beam angle (e.g., strip beam angles 304, 404, 510, 610, 616, 710, 831, 833, 839, and 1116) is an emission beam angle. If the first strip beam angle is an emission beam angle, the controller is configured to increase a first current (e.g., currents 816, 818, and 820) applied to the first coils (e.g., coils 804, 806, 808, 810, 812, and 814). In several examples, the controller determines whether the first strip beam angle is an emission beam angle by determining whether the strip beam angle is higher than a predetermined threshold (e.g., 1, 1.5, 2, 5, or 10 degrees).

[0104] In several examples, a controller (e.g., controller 132) is configured to determine whether a first strip beam angle (e.g., strip beam angles 304, 404, 510, 610, 616, 710, 831, 833, 839, and 1116) is a convergent beam angle. If the first strip beam angle is a convergent beam angle, the controller is configured to increase a second current (e.g., currents 816, 818, and 820) applied to the second coils (e.g., coils 804, 806, 808, 810, 812, and 814). In several examples, the controller determines whether the first strip beam angle is a convergent beam angle by determining whether the strip beam angle is below a predetermined threshold (e.g., 1, 1.5, 2, 5, or 10 degrees).

[0105] In several examples, an electrode assembly (e.g., electrode assembly 106) is disposed between an ion source (e.g., ion source 102) and a wafer chuck (e.g., wafer chuck 118), and the electrode assembly is a single curved beamline assembly (e.g., electrode assembly 1006). In several examples, dipole magnets (e.g., dipole magnets 140, 202, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, and 802) are disposed within the electrode assembly. In several examples, the dipole magnets are disposed outside the focusing electrode (e.g., focusing electrode 1004) of the electrode assembly.

[0106] It should be understood that some steps in process 1200 can be combined, the order of some steps can be changed, and some steps can be omitted. Furthermore, it should be understood that additional steps may be performed. For example, if the ion implantation system 100 includes additional dipole magnets, then process 1200 may additionally include a step of adjusting the ion beam using one or more additional dipole magnets.

[0107] While specific components, configurations, features, and functions are provided above, those skilled in the art will understand that other variations can be used. Furthermore, although a feature may appear to be described using a particular paradigm, those skilled in the art will understand that multiple features of the described paradigm can be combined. Moreover, the multiple versions of the paradigm described can be implemented independently.

[0108] Although embodiments have been fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be noted that many changes and modifications will be readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Such changes and modifications should be understood to be included within the scope of the many examples defined by the appended claims.

[0109] 100: Ion Implantation System 102: Ion source 104: Capture Manipulator 105: Band-shaped beam 106: Electrode Assembly 107: Magnetic yoke 108: Magnetic Analyzer 109: Electromagnetic coil 110: Multipole magnet 111: First Opening 112: Variable Hole Assembly 113: Second opening 114: Multipole magnet 115: Variable aperture 116: Wafer 117: Opening 118: Wafer Chuck 119: Opening 120: Suppression electrode 122: Grounding electrode 126: Outlet Hole 128: Panel 130: Processing Room 132: Controller 134: Memory 136: Processor 138: Input / Output (I / O) Interface 140: Dipole magnet 142: Quadrupole magnet 202: Magnetic Field 204: Gap 206: Half 208: Half 210: Current 212: Current 302: Dipole magnet 304: Banded beam angle 306: Magnetic Field 308: Strength 402: Dipole magnet 404: Banded beam angle 406: Magnetic Field 408: Strength 502: Dipole magnet 504: Magnetic Field 506: First Sub-beam 508: Second Sub-beam 510: Angle of the strip beam 512: Force 602: Dipole magnet 604: Magnetic Field 606: sub-beam 608: sub-beam 610: Angle of the strip beam 612: sub-beam 614:sub-beam 616: Angle of the strip beam 702: Wedge-shaped dipole magnet 704: Magnetic Field 706:sub-beam 708:Beamlet 710: Angle of the strip beam 802: Dipole magnet 804: Coil 806: Coil 808: Coil 810: Coil 812: Coil 814: Coil 816: Coil Current 818: Coil Current 820: Coil current 822: First Magnetic Field 824: Second Magnetic Field 826: Third Magnetic Field 830:Beamlet 831: Beam Angle 832:Beamlet 833: Beam Angle 834:Beamlet 836:Beamlet 838:Beamlet 839: Beam Angle 840:Beamlet 900: Chart 1002: Bending Acceleration Electrode 1004: Focusing Electrode 1006: Single curved beamline assembly 1008: Focusing Electrode 1102: Quadrupole magnet 1104: Coil 1106: Magnetic Field 1108: Coil 1110: Magnetic Field 1112:sub-beam 1114:sub-beam 1116: Angle of the strip beam 1200: Process 1202: Steps 1204: Steps 1206: Steps 1208: Steps 1210: Steps 1212: Steps S: Antarctica N: Arctic

Claims

1. A method for providing a strip beam to a wafer in an ion implantation system, the ion implantation system comprising an ion source, a wafer chuck configured to hold the wafer, a dipole magnet comprising at least two coils disposed between the ion source and the wafer chuck, and a controller configured to control the ion source, the wafer chuck, and the dipole magnet, the method comprising: delivering the strip beam to the wafer held in the wafer chuck using the ion source; and adjusting a strip beam angle of the strip beam at one or more locations along a path of the strip beam between the ion source and the wafer held in the wafer chuck by applying a first current to a first coil of the at least two coils and by applying a second current to a second coil of the at least two coils, using the dipole magnet, wherein the strip beam angle is an angle between a first sub-beam and a second sub-beam of the strip beam, and wherein the first sub-beam and the second sub-beam are adjacent sub-beams of the strip beam, wherein... The gap between the dipole magnets is determined based on at least one of the energy or mass of the ribbon beam.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises: adjusting the gap of the dipole magnet based on at least one of the energy or the mass of the ribbon beam.

3. As in request item 1, where, Adjusting the angle of the strip beam further includes: increasing the first current applied to the first coil while maintaining the second current applied to the second coil.

4. As in request item 1, where, Adjusting the angle of the strip beam further includes: reducing the first current applied to the first coil while maintaining the second current applied to the second coil.

5. As in request item 1, where, Adjusting the angle of the strip beam further includes: increasing the second current applied to the second coil while maintaining the first current applied to the first coil.

6. As in request item 1, where, Adjusting the angle of the strip beam further includes: increasing the first current applied to the first coil; and increasing the second current applied to the second coil.

7. As in request item 1, where, Adjusting the angle of the strip beam further includes: maintaining the first current applied to the first coil; and maintaining the second current applied to the second coil so that the first sub-beam and the second sub-beam are substantially parallel.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprises: before adjusting the beam angle of the beam, bending the path of the beam using a single bent beamline assembly, wherein the dipole magnet is included in the single bent beamline assembly.

9. As in request item 1, wherein, The dipole magnet is a first dipole magnet placed at a first position along the path of the strip beam, and further includes: adjusting the strip beam angle of the strip beam using a second dipole magnet placed at a second position along the path of the strip beam.

10. As in request item 9, wherein, The second dipole magnet, following the first dipole magnet, adjusts the angle of the strip beam.

11. As in request item 9, wherein, The second dipole magnet adjusts the angle of the strip beam in front of the first dipole magnet.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprises: determining whether the first sub-beam and the second sub-beam are parallel; and adjusting the first magnetic field generated by the dipole magnet based on the determination that the first sub-beam and the second sub-beam are not parallel.

13. The method of claim 1 further includes: determining whether the strip beam angle is a divergent angle; and increasing the first current applied to the first coil based on determining that the strip beam angle is a divergent angle.

14. The method of claim 1 further includes: determining whether the strip beam angle is a convergent angle; and increasing the second current applied to the second coil based on determining that the strip beam angle is a convergent angle.

15. An ion implantation system for providing a strip beam to a wafer, comprising: an ion source configured to generate a strip beam; a wafer chuck configured to hold the wafer during strip beam implantation; and a dipole magnet disposed between the ion source and the wafer chuck, wherein the dipole magnet includes at least two coils and is configured to adjust a strip beam angle of the strip beam at one or more locations along a path of the strip beam between the ion source and the wafer held in the wafer chuck, wherein a first current is applied to a first coil of the at least two coils, and wherein a second current is applied to a second coil of the at least two coils, wherein the strip beam angle is an angle between a first sub-beam and a second sub-beam of the strip beam, wherein the first sub-beam and the second sub-beam are adjacent sub-beams of the strip beam, and wherein... The gap between the dipole magnets is determined based on at least one of the energy or mass of the ribbon beam; and a controller is configured to control the ion source, the wafer chuck, and the dipole magnets.

16. The ion implantation system as described in claim 15, wherein, The gap of the dipole magnet is adjustable based on at least one of the energy or the mass of the ribbon beam.

17. The ion implantation system as described in claim 15, wherein, The dipole magnet is configured to reduce the angle of the strip beam.

18. The ion implantation system as described in claim 15, wherein, The dipole magnet is configured to increase the angle of the strip beam.

19. The ion implantation system as described in claim 15, wherein, The dipole magnet is a long dipole magnet and is configured to align the first sub-beam and the second sub-beam to be substantially parallel.

20. The ion implantation system as described in claim 19, wherein, The dipole magnet is a wedge-shaped magnet.

21. The ion implantation system as described in claim 15, wherein, The strip beam further includes a third sub-beam and a fourth sub-beam, which are adjacent sub-beams of the strip beam and are opposite to the first sub-beam and the second sub-beam.

22. The ion implantation system as claimed in claim 21, wherein, The dipole magnet is configured to adjust the second strip beam angle between the third sub-beam and the first sub-beam of the strip beam.

23. The ion implantation system as described in claim 22, wherein, The first sub-beam and the third sub-beam are parallel after passing through the dipole magnet.

24. The ion implantation system of claim 15 further includes a magnetic analyzer disposed between the ion source and the wafer chuck, wherein the dipole magnet is disposed between the ion source and the magnetic analyzer.

25. The ion implantation system as described in claim 24, wherein, The dipole magnet is a first dipole magnet, and further includes: a multipole magnet disposed between the magnetic analyzer and the wafer chuck; and a second dipole magnet disposed between the magnetic analyzer and the multipole magnet.

26. The ion implantation system as described in claim 25, wherein, The first dipole magnet is configured to increase the angle of the strip beam, and the second dipole magnet is configured to decrease the angle of the strip beam.

27. The ion implantation system of claim 25 further includes: a third dipole magnet disposed between the multipole magnet and the wafer chuck, wherein the third dipole magnet is configured to align the first sub-beam and the second sub-beam to be substantially parallel.

28. The ion implantation system as described in claim 15, wherein, The controller is configured to: determine whether the first sub-beam and the second sub-beam are parallel; and adjust the first magnetic field generated by the dipole magnet based on the determination that the first sub-beam and the second sub-beam are not parallel.

29. The ion implantation system as described in claim 28, wherein, The first magnetic field generated by the dipole magnet is adjusted by adjusting the first current applied to the first coil.

30. The ion implantation system as described in claim 28, wherein, The first magnetic field generated by the dipole magnet is adjusted by adjusting the gap between the dipole magnets.

31. The ion implantation system as described in claim 15, wherein, The controller is configured to: determine whether the strip beam angle is a scattering beam angle; and increase the first current applied to the first coil based on the determination that the strip beam angle is a scattering beam angle.

32. The ion implantation system as described in claim 15, wherein, The controller is configured to: determine whether the strip beam angle is a convergent beam angle; and increase the second current applied to the second coil based on the determination that the strip beam angle is a convergent beam angle.

33. The ion implantation system of claim 15 further includes an electrode assembly disposed between the ion source and the wafer chuck, wherein the electrode assembly is a single curved beamline assembly, and wherein the dipole magnet is disposed within the electrode assembly.

34. The ion implantation system as described in claim 33, wherein, The dipole magnet is located outside the focusing electrode of the electrode assembly.

35. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs containing a plurality of instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors of a controller of an ion implantation system, cause the controller to: generate a strip beam from an ion source of the ion implantation system; adjust the path of the strip beam toward a wafer held in a wafer chuck of the ion implantation system using a magnetic analyzer of the ion implantation system; and adjust the strip beam angle of the strip beam at one or more locations along the path of the strip beam between the ion source and the wafer held in the wafer chuck using a dipole magnet comprising at least two coils, wherein a first current is applied to a first coil of the at least two coils and a second current is applied to a second coil of the at least two coils, wherein the strip beam angle is the angle between a first sub-beam and a second sub-beam of the strip beam, wherein the first sub-beam and the second sub-beam are adjacent sub-beams of the strip beam, and wherein... The gap between the dipole magnets is determined based on at least one of the energy or mass of the ribbon beam.

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