Plastic Hose Ion Implantation Gas Feed Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing ion implantation methods for semiconductor substrates face issues with toxic doping gases, such as phosphine and arsine, which require frequent cylinder changes and can lead to electrical flashovers and unmonitored leaks, resulting in high substrate scrapping costs.
Innovation Solution
A method and device using a plastic hose to feed doping gases, enclosed by a buffer hose filled with an inert gas, which prevents voltage flashovers and allows for precise monitoring of gas levels, reducing substrate scrapping by using larger, redundantly designed gas cylinders and monitoring pressure to detect leaks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If small-capacity gas cylinders are used to supply doping gas, then the risk of electrical flashovers is reduced, but the cylinders must be changed frequently and cannot be completely monitored for filling levels, resulting in high substrate scrapping
Solution Approach 1:
The gas supply system is segmented into multiple small-capacity cylinders connected in parallel to a common manifold, allowing individual cylinders to be replaced without interrupting the overall gas supply to the semiconductor processing equipment
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple cylinders are prepared in advance and connected to the system, allowing seamless replacement as each cylinder is depleted, ensuring continuous operation without interruption to substrate processing
2Reliability
If conventional metal hoses are used to feed doping gas, then the connection is stable, but electrical flashovers occur due to the high voltage ion implantation process
Solution Approach 1:
A plastic hose is introduced as an intermediary component between the metal manifold and the ion implantation chamber, serving as an electrical insulator that prevents flashovers while maintaining gas flow and connection stability
Solution Approach 2:
The plastic hose creates an electrically isolated pathway for gas flow, effectively creating an inert electrical environment that prevents discharge while allowing the doping gas to pass through
3Device complexity
If doping gas is supplied without monitoring, then the system is simple, but the filling level of gas cylinders cannot be monitored, leading to incomplete substrate production
Solution Approach 1:
Pressure sensors are installed on each gas cylinder to provide real-time feedback on gas levels to the control system, which automatically triggers replacement alerts and manages the cylinder rotation sequence
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically monitors and manages its own gas supply status, eliminating the need for manual checking and enabling proactive replacement before substrate production is affected
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 solution effectively prevents electrical flashovers, reduces substrate scrapping, and allows for precise timing of gas cylinder changes, ensuring a safer and more efficient ion implantation process by using conventional gas cylinders with higher capacity and monitoring systems to detect leaks.
Implementation Method 1
an ion beam is generated from a doping gas and directed onto the semiconductor substrate, whereby the doping gas is fed through a plastic hose to a means for generating an ion beam and then is ionized
Implementation Method 2
the plastic hose is enclosed by a buffer hose, which is filled with a buffer gas
Data Source
AI summary
Method for the treatment of a semiconductor substrate (2), in which an ion beam (4) is produced from a doping gas and is directed onto the semiconductor substrate (2), characterized in that the doping gas is fed through a plastic hose (6) to a unit (3) for producing an ion beam (4), and is then ionized. The method and the device advantageously permit the supply of the unit 3 for producing an ion beam 4 with a doping gas from customary gas reservoirs 14 such as customary compressed gas cylinders, for example. Voltage flashovers from the deflection elements 5 are effectively prevented by the use of a plastic hose 6. The method and the device thus permit the simple construction of a corresponding ion implantation apparatus in conjunction with possible inexpensive supply thereof with doping gas.