Ion Implantation Tool In Situ Cleaning via Halogen Dilution
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Ion implantation tools experience significant downtime and increased production costs due to the accumulation of unwanted materials like tungsten, leading to beam instabilities and non-uniformity, requiring frequent maintenance and reduced throughput.
Innovation Solution
The use of a source gas with a halogen species to non-halogen species ratio of 2:1 or less, which reduces the accumulation of unwanted materials by diluting the halogen fraction, allowing for in situ cleaning and conditioning of the implantation tool during the processing of substrates, thereby enhancing tool throughput and reducing maintenance needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional source gas with high halogen fraction is used, then effective dopant implantation is achieved, but unwanted materials accumulate in the beam line causing beam instabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic cleaning cycles using source gas with reduced halogen fraction (2:1 or less ratio of halogen to non-halogen species) to remove accumulated unwanted materials from the beam line, while maintaining effective dopant implantation during regular processing cycles. This periodic alternation between implantation and cleaning modes resolves the contradiction by preventing beam instability while preserving implantation precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the halogen fraction parameter in the source gas from conventional high levels to reduced levels (2:1 ratio or less of halogen to non-halogen species) during cleaning operations. This parameter change enables the removal of unwanted material accumulation without compromising the ability to perform effective dopant implantation when needed, thereby maintaining beam stability while preserving implantation precision.
2Reliability
If frequent maintenance and cleaning is performed, then beam stability is maintained, but tool throughput and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous useful action by performing cleaning operations during scheduled maintenance intervals without requiring extended downtime. The use of source gas with reduced halogen fraction allows for efficient removal of unwanted materials in shorter cleaning cycles, maintaining beam stability while minimizing interruption to productive implantation operations, thus preserving tool throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements optimized periodic cleaning cycles that remove unwanted material accumulation before it significantly degrades beam performance. By using source gas with reduced halogen fraction (2:1 ratio or less), the cleaning process is more efficient and requires less time, allowing frequent maintenance without substantially reducing overall tool productivity and throughput.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If source gas with reduced halogen fraction is used, then accumulation of unwanted materials is reduced, but cleaning effectiveness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the halogen fraction parameter in the source gas to a reduced level (2:1 ratio or less of halogen to non-halogen species) during cleaning operations. This parameter change reduces the accumulation of unwanted materials by altering the sputtering and deposition dynamics in the beam line, while the cleaning effectiveness is maintained through optimized cleaning cycle parameters and the specific composition of the reduced-halogen source gas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses source gas with reduced halogen fraction as a modified version of conventional source gas, maintaining the essential cleaning function while altering the chemical composition to reduce unwanted material accumulation. The reduced-halogen gas acts as a copy of conventional source gas with modified properties that achieve both reduced accumulation and effective cleaning.
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 significantly reduces the accumulation of unwanted materials, enabling continuous operation of ion implantation tools with improved process uniformity and reduced production costs by integrating cleaning and conditioning into the manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
creating ions from a source gas in a plasma ambient
Implementation Method 2
creating ions from a source gas in a plasma ambient
Implementation Method 3
accelerating the ions into a beam line and implanting at least a fraction of the ions into a material
Implementation Method 4
accelerating the ions into a beam line
Implementation Method 5
reduces the accumulation of unwanted materials by diluting the halogen fraction
Data Source
AI summary
By operating an implantation tool with a source gas having a halogen fraction of 66 atomic percent or less relative to the total composition of the source gas, an in situ cleaning effect may be achieved while performing an implantation process.