Ion Generator Pre-treatment for Rapid Beam Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ion beam instability after switching ion source conditions in ion implanters leads to a significant wait time for stabilization, hindering productivity.
Innovation Solution
An ion generator with a plasma chamber, gas supply unit, and plasma excitation source, controlled by an ion source control unit that sets pre-treatment conditions based on current and new ion source conditions to rapidly stabilize the ion beam by forming a suitable surface layer on the plasma chamber inner wall.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If ion source conditions are switched to perform different irradiation processes, then the ion generator can handle multiple recipes with different ion species and energy, but the ion beam quality becomes unstable and requires waiting time for stabilization
Solution Approach 1:
The control device performs a pre-treatment process immediately after switching ion source conditions. This pre-treatment uses plasma generated from the new source gas to form a surface layer on the plasma chamber inner wall that is suitable for the new ion source conditions, thereby preparing the chamber in advance and eliminating the stabilization wait time
2Productivity
If ion source conditions are switched immediately, then productivity can be maintained, but the ion beam quality is insufficiently stable
Solution Approach 1:
The control device executes a pre-treatment process that forms a suitable surface layer on the plasma chamber inner wall before actual ion irradiation begins. This preliminary preparation ensures that when ion source conditions are switched, the ion beam quality becomes stable immediately, allowing productivity to be maintained without compromising reliability
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 pre-treatment process significantly reduces the wait time for ion beam stabilization, enabling immediate operation after switching ion source conditions and enhancing the productivity of the ion implanter.
Implementation Method 1
a plasma excitation source that is configured to excite the source gas supplied to the plasma chamber into a plasma state
Data Source
AI summary
An ion generator includes an ion source control unit that controls a gas supply unit and a plasma excitation source in accordance with a current ion source condition and a new ion source condition to be employed subsequent to the current ion source condition, a retention time obtaining unit that obtains retention time for the current ion source condition, and a pre-treatment condition setting unit that sets a pre-treatment condition defining a pre-treatment for forming a surface layer region suitable for the new ion source condition on a plasma chamber inner wall based on the current ion source condition, the retention time, and the new ion source condition. The ion source control unit is configured to control the gas supply unit and the plasma excitation source in accordance with the pre-treatment condition when the current ion source condition is changed to the new ion source condition.