Abstract: Provided herein are approaches for decreasing particle generation in an electrostatic lens. In some embodiments, an ion implantation system may include an electrostatic lens including an entrance for receiving an ion beam and an exit for delivering the ion beam towards a target, the electrostatic lens including a first terminal electrode, a first suppression electrode, and a first ground electrode disposed along a first side of an ion beamline, wherein the first ground electrode is grounded and positioned adjacent the exit. The electrostatic lens may further include a second terminal electrode, a second suppression electrode, and a second ground electrode disposed along a second side of the ion beamline, wherein the second ground electrode is grounded and positioned adjacent the exit. The implantation system may further include a power supply operable to supply a voltage and a current to the electrostatic lens for controlling the ion beam.

Abstract: Provided herein are approaches for in-situ plasma cleaning of ion beam optics. In one approach, a system includes a component (e.g., a beam-line component) of an ion implanter processing chamber. The system further includes a power supply for supplying a first voltage and first current to the component during a processing mode and a second voltage and second current to the component during a cleaning mode. The second voltage and current are applied to one or more conductive beam optics of the component, individually, to selectively generate plasma around one or more of the one or more conductive beam optics. The system may further include a flow controller for adjusting an injection rate of an etchant gas supplied to the beam-line component, and a vacuum pump for adjusting pressure of an environment of the beam-line component.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include a main chamber, an entrance tunnel, the entrance tunnel having an entrance axis extending into the main chamber; an exit tunnel, connected to the main chamber and defining an exit axis, wherein the entrance tunnel and the exit tunnel define a beam bend of less than 25 degrees therebetween, and an electrode assembly, disposed in the main chamber, and defining a beam path between the entrance tunnel and the exit tunnel. The electrode assembly may include an upper electrode, disposed on a first side of the beam path, and a plurality of lower electrodes, disposed on a second side of the beam path, the plurality of lower electrodes comprising at least three electrodes.

Abstract: Provided herein are approaches for increasing operational range of an electrostatic lens. An electrostatic lens of an ion implantation system may receive an ion beam from an ion source, the electrostatic lens including a first plurality of conductive beam optics disposed along one side of an ion beam line and a second plurality of conductive beam optics disposed along a second side of the ion beam line. The ion implantation system may further include a power supply in communication with the electrostatic lens, the power supply operable to supply a voltage and a current to at least one of the first and second plurality of conductive beam optics, wherein the voltage and the current deflects the ion beam at a beam deflection angle, and wherein the ion beam is accelerated and then decelerated within the electrostatic lens.

Abstract: An ion source having an electrically isolated extraction plate is disclosed. By isolating the extraction plate, a different voltage can be applied to the extraction plate than to the body of the arc chamber. By applying a more positive voltage to the extraction plate, more efficient ion source operation with higher plasma density can be achieved. In this mode the plasma potential is increased, and the electrostatic sheath reduces losses of electrons to the chamber walls. By applying a more negative voltage, an ion rich sheath adjacent to the extraction aperture can be created. In this mode, conditioning and cleaning of the extraction plate is achieved via ion bombardment. Further, in certain embodiments, the voltage applied to the extraction plate can be pulsed to allow ion extraction and cleaning to occur simultaneously.

Abstract: Provided herein are approaches for controlling an ion beam using an electrostatic filter with curved electrodes. In some embodiments, a system may include an electrostatic filter receiving an ion beam, the filter including first and second electrodes disposed opposite sides of an ion beam line, each of the first and second electrodes having a central region between first and second ends, wherein a distance between a first outer surface of the first electrode and a second outer surface of the second electrode varies along an electrode length axis extending between the first and second ends. The system may further include a power supply in communication with the electrostatic filter, the power supply operable to supply a voltage and a current to the first and second electrodes, wherein the variable distance between the first and second outer surfaces causes the ion beam to converge or diverge.

Abstract: An apparatus for directional processing is disclosed. The apparatus includes a workpiece support and an ion source, having a plurality of walls. An extraction aperture is disposed on at least one of the plurality of walls. In certain embodiments, the plurality of walls defines a hollow region. The hollow region is located above the portion of the workpiece that is being processed, allowing the etching byproducts can be evacuated without depositing on the ion source. The shape of the hollow region may be modified to further reduce the amount of deposition on the hollow ion source. Additionally, a pump may be disposed within or above the hollow region to facilitate the removal of the etching byproducts. In other embodiments, the extraction aperture of the ion source may be disposed at a corner of the plasma chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include a main chamber, an entrance tunnel, the entrance tunnel having an entrance axis extending into the main chamber; an exit tunnel, connected to the main chamber and defining an exit axis, wherein the entrance tunnel and the exit tunnel define a beam bend of less than 25 degrees therebetween, and an electrode assembly, disposed in the main chamber, and defining a beam path between the entrance tunnel and the exit tunnel. The electrode assembly may include an upper electrode, disposed on a first side of the beam path, and a plurality of lower electrodes, disposed on a second side of the beam path, the plurality of lower electrodes comprising at least three electrodes.

Abstract: An indirectly heated cathode ion source having an electrically isolated extraction plate is disclosed. By isolating the extraction plate, a different voltage can be applied to the extraction plate than to the body of the arc chamber. By applying a more positive voltage to the extraction plate, more efficient ion source operation with higher plasma density can be achieved. In this mode the plasma potential is increased, and the electrostatic sheath reduces losses of electrons to the chamber walls. By applying a more negative voltage, an ion rich sheath adjacent to the extraction aperture can be created. In this mode, conditioning and cleaning of the extraction plate is achieved via ion bombardment. Further, in certain embodiments, the voltage applied to the extraction plate can be pulsed to allow ion extraction and cleaning to occur simultaneously.

Abstract: Provided herein are approaches for increasing operational range of an electrostatic lens. An electrostatic lens of an ion implantation system may receive an ion beam from an ion source, the electrostatic lens including a first plurality of conductive beam optics disposed along one side of an ion beam line and a second plurality of conductive beam optics disposed along a second side of the ion beam line. The ion implantation system may further include a power supply in communication with the electrostatic lens, the power supply operable to supply a voltage and a current to at least one of the first and second plurality of conductive beam optics, wherein the voltage and the current deflects the ion beam at a beam deflection angle, and wherein the ion beam is accelerated and then decelerated within the electrostatic lens.

Abstract: Provided herein are approaches for in-situ plasma cleaning of ion beam optics. In one approach, a system includes a component (e.g., a beam-line component) of an ion implanter processing chamber. The system further includes a power supply for supplying a first voltage and first current to the component during a processing mode and a second voltage and second current to the component during a cleaning mode. The second voltage and current are applied to one or more conductive beam optics of the component, individually, to selectively generate plasma around one or more of the one or more conductive beam optics. The system may further include a flow controller for adjusting an injection rate of an etchant gas supplied to the beam-line component, and a vacuum pump for adjusting pressure of an environment of the beam-line component.

Abstract: An apparatus may include a main chamber, an entrance tunnel, having an entrance axis extending into the main chamber, and an exit tunnel, connected to the main chamber and defining an exit axis, wherein the entrance tunnel and the exit tunnel define a beam bend of less than 25 degrees therebetween. The apparatus may include an electrode assembly, disposed in the main chamber, on a lower side of the exit tunnel; and a catch assembly, disposed within the main chamber, in a line of sight from an exterior aperture of the exit tunnel.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include a main chamber; an entrance tunnel having a propagation axis extending into the main chamber along a first direction; an exit tunnel, connected to the main chamber and defining an exit direction. The entrance tunnel and the exit tunnel may define a beam bend of at least 30 degrees therebetween. The apparatus may include an electrode assembly, disposed in the main chamber, and defining a beam path between the entrance tunnel and the exit aperture, wherein the electrode assembly comprises a lower electrode, disposed on a first side of the beam path, and a plurality of electrodes, disposed on a second side of the beam path, the plurality of electrodes comprising at least five electrodes.

Abstract: An apparatus may include a main chamber, the main chamber comprising a plurality of electrodes; an entrance tunnel, the entrance tunnel having an entrance axis extending into the main chamber along a first direction; and an exit tunnel, connected to the main chamber and defining an exit axis, wherein the entrance axis and the exit axis define a beam bend of at least 30 degrees therebetween.

Abstract: An apparatus may include a housing including an entrance aperture, to receive an ion beam. The apparatus may include an exit aperture, disposed in the housing, downstream to the entrance aperture, the entrance aperture and the exit aperture defining a beam axis, extending therebetween. The apparatus may include an electrodynamic mass analysis assembly disposed in the housing and comprising an upper electrode assembly, disposed above the beam axis, and a lower electrode assembly, disposed below the beam axis. The apparatus may include an AC voltage assembly, electrically coupled to the upper electrode assembly and the lower electrode assembly, wherein the upper electrode assembly is arranged to receive an AC signal from the AC voltage assembly at a first phase angle, and wherein the lower electrode assembly is arranged to receive the AC signal at a second phase angle, the second phase angle 180 degrees shifted from the first phase angle.

Abstract: An indirectly heated cathode ion source having an electrically isolated extraction plate is disclosed. By isolating the extraction plate, a different voltage can be applied to the extraction plate than to the body of the arc chamber. By applying a more positive voltage to the extraction plate, more efficient ion source operation with higher plasma density can be achieved. In this mode the plasma potential is increased, and the electrostatic sheath reduces losses of electrons to the chamber walls. By applying a more negative voltage, an ion rich sheath adjacent to the extraction aperture can be created. In this mode, conditioning and cleaning of the extraction plate is achieved via ion bombardment. Further, in certain embodiments, the voltage applied to the extraction plate can be pulsed to allow ion extraction and cleaning to occur simultaneously.

Abstract: An apparatus may include a housing including an entrance aperture, to receive an ion beam. The apparatus may include an exit aperture, disposed in the housing, downstream to the entrance aperture, the entrance aperture and the exit aperture defining a beam axis, extending therebetween. The apparatus may include an electrodynamic mass analysis assembly disposed in the housing and comprising an upper electrode assembly, disposed above the beam axis, and a lower electrode assembly, disposed below the beam axis. The apparatus may include an AC voltage assembly, electrically coupled to the upper electrode assembly and the lower electrode assembly, wherein the upper electrode assembly is arranged to receive an AC signal from the AC voltage assembly at a first phase angle, and wherein the lower electrode assembly is arranged to receive the AC signal at a second phase angle, the second phase angle 180 degrees shifted from the first phase angle.

Abstract: A workpiece processing apparatus allowing independent control of the voltage applied to the shield ring and the workpiece is disclosed. The workpiece processing apparatus includes a platen. The platen includes a dielectric material on which a workpiece is disposed. A bias electrode is disposed beneath the dielectric material. A shield ring, which is constructed from a metal, ceramic, semiconductor or dielectric material, is arranged around the perimeter of the workpiece. A ring electrode is disposed beneath the shield ring. The ring electrode and the bias electrode may be separately powered. This allows the surface voltage of the shield ring to match that of the workpiece, which causes the plasma sheath to be flat. Additionally, the voltage applied to the shield ring may be made different from that of the workpiece to compensate for mismatches in geometries. This improves uniformity of incident angles along the outer edge of the workpiece.

Abstract: Provided herein are approaches for reducing particles in an ion implanter. An electrostatic filter may include a housing and a plurality of conductive beam optics within the housing. The conductive beam optics are arranged around an ion beam-line directed towards a wafer, and may include entrance aperture electrodes proximate an entrance aperture of the housing. The conductive beam optics may further include energetic electrodes downstream along the ion beam-line from the entrance aperture electrodes, and ground electrodes downstream from the energetic electrodes. The energetic electrodes are positioned farther away from the ion beam-line than the entrance electrodes and the ground electrodes, thus causing the energetic electrodes to be physically blocked from impact by an envelope of back-sputter material returning from the wafer. The electrostatic filter may further include an electrical system for independently delivering a voltage and a current to each of the conductive beam optics.

Abstract: A workpiece processing apparatus allowing independent control of the voltage applied to the shield ring and the workpiece is disclosed. The workpiece processing apparatus includes a platen. The platen includes a dielectric material on which a workpiece is disposed. A bias electrode is disposed beneath the dielectric material. A shield ring, which is constructed from a metal, ceramic, semiconductor or dielectric material, is arranged around the perimeter of the workpiece. A ring electrode is disposed beneath the shield ring. The ring electrode and the bias electrode may be separately powered. This allows the surface voltage of the shield ring to match that of the workpiece, which causes the plasma sheath to be flat. Additionally, the voltage applied to the shield ring may be made different from that of the workpiece to compensate for mismatches in geometries. This improves uniformity of incident angles along the outer edge of the workpiece.