Grooved Ion Implanter Liner for Contaminant Trapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ion implanters produce contaminant particles, such as residual ions and photoresist material, which adhere to semiconductor wafers and cause yield loss in integrated circuit fabrication due to inadequate removal methods.
Innovation Solution
An ion implanter with a particle trap featuring a liner with grooves or channels on its surface is used to capture contaminants within the evacuated interior region, effectively reducing contamination by adhering and retaining sputtered particles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional smooth particle collector surfaces are used, then particle adhesion is insufficient, but surface area for contamination capture is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a smooth two-dimensional surface to a three-dimensional grooved surface structure. The grooves create additional surface area and depth dimensions, allowing contaminants to be trapped within the groove cavities rather than just adhering to a flat surface. This dimensional transformation significantly increases the effective capture area without expanding the overall footprint of the particle collector.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooved surface creates a porous-like structure with channels and cavities that allow contaminants to enter and be trapped within the surface topology. The grooves act as sinks that capture and retain contaminant particles, preventing them from reaching and adhering to the wafer. This porous approach increases capture efficiency by providing multiple trapping zones within the surface structure.
2Reliability
If more particle collector surface area is added, then contaminant capture improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The particle collector surface is segmented into multiple grooves and channels that divide the capture function across many small units. Each groove acts as an independent trapping element, and collectively they provide comprehensive contaminant capture. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high capture efficiency through multiple simple repeating units rather than a single complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooved surface creates a porous-like structure with channels and cavities that allow contaminants to enter and be trapped within the surface topology. The grooves act as sinks that capture and retain contaminant particles, preventing them from reaching and adhering to the wafer. This porous approach increases capture efficiency by providing multiple trapping zones within the surface structure.
3Productivity
If contaminant particles are not effectively removed, then wafer yield is lost, but additional removal mechanisms increase system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful contaminant particles into a beneficial trapping mechanism. By designing grooved surfaces that specifically capture and retain contaminants, the system transforms the problem of contaminant management into a solution where contaminants are actively directed into and trapped within the groove structures. This converts the harmful presence of contaminants into a controlled trapping process that protects the wafer.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooved particle collector surfaces are designed to automatically capture and retain contaminants through their inherent surface topology without requiring additional active removal mechanisms. The grooves self-service the contaminant trapping function through their geometric structure, eliminating the need for complex active removal systems while maintaining high wafer yield.
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
The solution significantly reduces contaminant accumulation and yield loss by efficiently trapping contaminants, improving the cleanliness and quality of semiconductor wafers during the ion implantation process.
Implementation Method 1
A particle trap having an exposed surface having grooves or channels extending into the surface that are spaced across at least a portion of the exposed surface
Data Source
AI summary
An ion implanter includes an ion source for generating an ion beam moving along a beam line and a vacuum or implantation chamber wherein a workpiece, such as a silicon wafer is positioned to intersect the ion beam for ion implantation of a surface of the workpiece by the ion beam. A liner has an interior facing surface that bounds at least a portion of the evacuated interior region and that comprises grooves spaced across the surface of the liner to capture contaminants generated within the interior region during operation of the ion implanter.