Abstract: The present invention provides a beam stop for use in an ion implantation system that includes a base formed of a thermally conductive material, and a heat transfer layer formed of a semi-elastic material that is disposed on a surface of the base. The beam stop further includes one or more tiles, each formed of a thermally conductive refractory material, that are disposed on the semi-elastic layer so as to face an ion beam in the implantation system. The heat transfer layer transfers heat generated in the tile in response to ion beam impact to the base. The base in turn can be coupled to a heat sink to remove heat from the base. The thickness and the thermal conductivity of the base, and those of the heat transfer layer and the tile are chosen so as to ensure uniform expansion of the base and the tile when the beam stop is heated by ion beam impact.

Abstract: The present invention provides a heating assembly that includes a thermally conductive, lamp-mounting block manufactured from aluminum or a similar material, which can be machined as a single-piece (e.g., unibody) block. The unibody block includes one or more networks of inner passageways bored or otherwise machined within the block for transporting one or more cooling fluids. The mounting block can also have a reflective coating on one or more of its surfaces that face the lamps to efficiently reflect heat and/or light generated by the lamps onto a desired surface, for example, a semiconductor wafer. Thermal isolation devices, e.g., pads, provide for both physical mounting of the heating lamps to the mounting block and also provide thermal isolation between the heating lamp and its electrical connections are also disclosed to protecting heat-sensitive elements of the heating assembly such as seals.

Abstract: The present invention provides a rotating shaft that can extend between two regions having different ambient pressures. The rotating shaft can include a rotatable hollow outer shell that is coupled to a proximal portion of an inner shaft with a limited number of contact points. A plurality of thermal breaks disposed between the inner shaft and the hollow outer shell impede heat transfer between these two components. A rotary seal coupled to the distal portion of the inner shaft preserves the pressure differential between the two regions. Further, a heat sink removes heat transferred to the seal to ensure that the temperature of the seal remains within a range suitable for its operation. The rotating shaft of the invention can be utilized, for example, in an ion implantation system by the coupling of the outer shell to a wafer holder to position and orient a wafer in a path of an ion beam.

Abstract: Methods of producing buried insulating layers in semiconductor substrates are disclosed whereby a dose of selected ions is implanted into a substrate to form a buried precursor layer below an upper layer of the substrate, followed by oxidation of the substrate in an atmosphere having a selected oxygen concentration to form an oxide surface layer. The oxidation is performed at a temperature and for a time duration such that the formation of the oxide layer causes the injection of a controlled number of atoms of the substrate from a region proximate to an interface between the newly formed oxide layer and the substrate into the upper regions of the substrate to reduce strain. A high temperature annealing step is then performed to produce the insulating layer within the precursor layer.

Abstract: A wafer holder assembly includes first and second main structural members from which first and second wafer-holding arms extend. The first arm is secured to the main structural members by a graphite distal retaining member. The second arm is pivotally biased to a wafer-hold position by a graphite bias member. This arrangement provides a conductive path from the wafer to the assembly for inhibiting electrical discharges from the wafer during the ion implantation process. The assembly can further include additional graphite retaining members for maintaining the structural integrity of the assembly during the extreme conditions associated with SIMOX wafer processing without the need for potentially wafer-contaminating adhesives and conventional fasteners. The wafer-contacting pins at the distal end of the arms can be formed from silicon. The silicon pins can be coated with titanium nitride to enhance electrical contact with the wafer and to provide an abrasion resistant surface.

Abstract: A wafer holder assembly includes first and second main structural members from which first and second wafer-holding arms extend. The first arm is secured to the main structural members by a graphite distal retaining member. The second arm is pivotally biased to a wafer-hold position by a graphite bias member. This arrangement provides a conductive path from the wafer to the assembly for inhibiting electrical discharges from the wafer during the ion implantation process. The assembly can further include additional graphite retaining members for maintaining the structural integrity of the assembly during the extreme conditions associated with SIMOX wafer processing without the need for potentially wafer-contaminating adhesives and conventional fasteners. The wafer-contacting pins at the distal end of the arms can be formed from silicon. The silicon pins can be coated with titanium nitride to enhance electrical contact with the wafer and to provide an abrasion resistant surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for creation of high quality semiconductor-on-insulator structures, e.g., silicon-on-insulator structures, using implantation of sub-stoichiometric doses of oxygen at multiple energies. The method employs sequential steps of ion implantation and high temperature annealing to produce structures with a top silicon layer having a thickness ranging from 10-250 nm and a buried oxide layer having a thickness 30-300 nm. The buried oxide layer has a breakdown field greater than 5 MV/cm. Further, the density of silicon inclusions in the BOX region is less than 2×107 cm−2. The process of the invention can be used to create an entire SOI wafer, or be used to create patterned SOI, regions where SOI regions are integrated with non-SOI regions.

Abstract: A wafer holder assembly includes first and second main structural members from which first and second wafer-holding arms extend. The first arm is secured to the main structural members by a graphite distal retaining member. The second arm is pivotally biased to a wafer-hold position by a graphite bias member. This arrangement provides a conductive path from the wafer to the assembly for inhibiting electrical discharges from the wafer during the ion implantation process. The assembly can further include additional graphite retaining members for maintaining the structural integrity of the assembly during the extreme conditions associated with SIMOX wafer processing without the need for potentially wafer-contaminating adhesives and conventional fasteners. The wafer-contacting pins at the distal end of the arms can be formed from silicon. The silicon pins can be coated with titanium nitride to enhance electrical contact with the wafer and to provide an abrasion resistant surface.

Abstract: A wafer holder assembly includes first and second main structural members from which first and second wafer-holding arms extend. The first arm is secured to the main structural members by a graphite distal retaining member. The second arm is pivotally biased to a wafer-hold position by a graphite bias member. This arrangement provides a conductive path from the wafer to the assembly for inhibiting electrical discharges from the wafer during the ion implantation process. The assembly can further include additional graphite retaining members for maintaining the structural integrity of the assembly during the extreme conditions associated with SIMOX wafer processing without the need for potentially wafer-contaminating adhesives and conventional fasteners. The wafer-contacting pins at the distal end of the arms can be formed from silicon. The silicon pins can be coated with titanium nitride to enhance electrical contact with the wafer and to provide an abrasion resistant surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for creation of high quality semiconductor-on-insulator structures, e.g., silicon-on-insulator structures, using implantation of sub-stoichiometric doses of oxygen at multiple energies. The method employs sequential steps of ion implantation and high temperature annealing to produce structures with a top silicon layer having a thickness ranging from 10-250 nm and a buried oxide layer having a thickness 30-300 nm. The buried oxide layer has a breakdown field greater than 5 MV/cm. Further, the density of silicon inclusions in the BOX region is less than 2×107 cm−2. The process of the invention can be used to create an entire SOI wafer, or be used to create patterned SOI, regions where SOI regions are integrated with non-SOI regions.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for creation of high quality semiconductor-on-insulator structures, e.g., silicon-on-insulator structures, using implantation of sub-stoichiometric doses of oxygen at multiple energies. The method employs sequential steps of ion implantation and high temperature annealing to produce structures with a top silicon layer having a thickness ranging from 10-250 nm and a buried oxide layer having a thickness 30-300 nm. The buried oxide layer has a breakdown field greater than 5 MV/cm. Further, the density of silicon inclusions in the BOX region is less than 2×107 cm−2. The process of the invention can be used to create an entire SOI wafer, or be used to create patterned SOI, regions where SOI regions are integrated with non-SOI regions.

Abstract: An ion implantation system for producing silicon wafers having relatively low defect densities, e.g., below about 1×106/cm2, includes a fluid port in the ion implantation chamber for introducing a background gas into the chamber during the ion implantation process. The introduced gas, such as water vapor, reduces the defect density of the top silicon layer that is separated from the buried silicon dioxide layer.

Abstract: A wafer holder assembly includes first and second main structural members from which first and second wafer-holding arms extend. The first arm is secured to the main structural members by a graphite distal retaining member. The second arm is pivotally biased to a wafer-hold position by a graphite bias member. This arrangement provides a conductive path from the wafer to the assembly for inhibiting electrical discharges from the wafer during the ion implantation process. The assembly can further include additional graphite retaining members for maintaining the structural integrity of the assembly during the extreme conditions associated with SIMOX wafer processing without the need for potentially wafer-contaminating adhesives and conventional fasteners. The wafer-contacting pins at the distal end of the arms can be formed from silicon. The silicon pins can be coated with titanium nitride to enhance electrical contact with the wafer and to provide an abrasion resistant surface.

Abstract: A magnetic system for uniformly scanning an ion beam comprising a magnetic structure having poles with associated scanning coils and respective pole faces that define therebetween a gap through which the ion beam passes; and a magnetic circuit for producing in the gap a magnetic field of sufficient magnitude to prevent the occurrence of a recently observed plasma effect in which the transverse cross-section of the ion beam substantially fluctuates in size while the ion beam is being scanned across the selected surface.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing SIMOX heterostructures is disclosed wherein a subcritical dose of oxygen ions is implanted following a first, short "nucleating" implant and a nucleation growth step. The SIMOX structure thus formed has a thin, buried oxide layer and sharp interfaces.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing SIMOX heterostructures using a single implant sequence and an increasing range of ion beam energies is disclosed. The method produces SIMOX materials having thin, continuous buried oxide layers having sharp interfaces and which are substantially free of silicon islands.

Abstract: An ion implantation process for producing a buried insulating layer of silicon dioxide in a silicon substrate which takes advantage of the effects of surface erosion and sputtering inherent to the ion implantation process. The process allows the production of an insulating layer buried within a silicon semiconductor wherein the width of the insulating layer can be contoured by controlling the beam energy during implantation.

Abstract: An apparatus for particle implantation is disclosed employing a plurality of particle generators to effectively process wafers of other target substrates carried on a rotating end station. The invention is particularly useful in SIMOX processes where implanted oxygen ions form a buried oxide layer in silicon wafers. In one embodiment, two or more stationary particle generators are disposed at different sectors of a circular track along which the wafers travel to expose the wafers in sequence as they pass. The ion sources can also be offset regularly from each other to increase the radial exposure area. In an other embodiment, the apparatus can further include at least one particle generator which scans the rotating end station in a radial direction as it rotates to insure that uniform ion doses are achieved.