Charged Particle Beam Irradiation Emittance Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor production, existing ion implantation processes face challenges in accurately controlling and evaluating the angle information of ion beams, which affects the quality of ion implantation, as current methods measure angle information from the perspective of the ion source rather than the wafer, leading to inconsistent processing results.
Innovation Solution
A beam irradiation apparatus and method that includes a beam scanner for reciprocal scanning, a measurement device to measure angular components of charged particles incident on a target, and a data processor to calculate effective irradiation emittance, transforming time-dependent angular distribution data into position information to represent the emittance of a virtual beam bundle formed by charged particles incident on the target.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If angle information is measured from the ion source perspective using conventional methods, then the measurement system is simple, but the manufacturing precision of ion implantation deteriorates due to inconsistent angle information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional measurement perspective by measuring angle information from the wafer's viewpoint rather than the ion source's viewpoint. The measurement device detects angular distribution of ion beams at multiple positions across the wafer surface, transforming time-dependent measurements into position-dependent angular information. This inversion provides accurate angle information for each wafer location, improving ion implantation quality while maintaining manageable system complexity through systematic measurement and calculation methods.
2Manufacturing precision
If the ion beam angle is changed to control the implantation process, then the processing quality improves, but the measurement accuracy of angle information deteriorates because conventional methods cannot accurately capture angle information from the wafer perspective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the measurement process by dividing the wafer surface into multiple measurement positions and measuring angular distribution independently at each position. The measurement device moves to different locations across the wafer and captures angle information specific to each region. This segmentation allows accurate measurement of angle variations across the wafer surface, enabling precise control of ion implantation processing while maintaining measurement accuracy for each localized area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using measured angle information from multiple wafer positions to calculate and evaluate effective irradiation emittance. The system continuously monitors angular distribution at different positions and uses this feedback to assess ion beam quality and implantation uniformity. This feedback mechanism enables real-time evaluation of processing quality and allows for adjustments to maintain optimal ion implantation conditions.
3Productivity
If the beam scanner is used to reciprocally scan the ion beam across the wafer, then the productivity improves, but the measurement of angle information becomes more difficult because the beam is moving during measurement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by measuring angular distribution at multiple discrete positions across the wafer before performing the actual ion implantation process. The measurement device captures angle information at various locations while the beam scanner is positioned at each measurement point, transforming time-dependent measurements into position-dependent data. This preliminary measurement of angular characteristics at different positions enables accurate evaluation of effective irradiation emittance without interfering with the subsequent high-speed scanning implantation process, thus maintaining productivity while overcoming measurement difficulties.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for more accurate evaluation and control of ion beam angle information, improving the quality of beam irradiation processing by representing angular characteristics from the viewpoint of the processing object, ensuring uniformity and consistency of ion implantation across the wafer.
Implementation Method 1
a beam scanner that is configured such that a charged particle beam is reciprocatively scanned
Implementation Method 2
a measurement device that is capable of measuring an angular component of charged particles incident into a region of a measurement target
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a beam irradiation apparatus including: a beam scanner that is configured such that a charged particle beam is reciprocatively scanned in a scanning direction; a measurement device that is capable of measuring an angular component of charged particles incident into a region of a measurement target; and a data processor that calculates effective irradiation emittance of the charged particle beam using results measured by the measurement device. The measurement device measures a time dependent value for angular distribution of the charged particle beam. The data processor transforms time information included in the time dependent value for the angular distribution to position information and thus calculates the effective irradiation emittance. The effective irradiation emittance represents emittance of a virtual beam bundle, the virtual beam bundle being formed by summing portions of the charged particle beam which are incident into the region of the measurement target.