Abstract: An etch apparatus is presented including a grounding mechanism which maintains a low resistance electrical ground path between a plate electrode and a chamber despite temperature variations. The etch apparatus includes a chamber having a removable upper housing, a plate electrode positioned within the upper housing, and a grounding mechanism positioned between the plate electrode and the upper housing such that it contacts both the plate electrode and the upper housing. The grounding mechanism electrically couples the plate electrode to the upper housing. Several embodiments of the grounding mechanism include at least one sheet of metal folded to form two sections extending in an acute angle relative to one another. In two embodiments, the folded sheet of metal forms two sections meeting at a crease. Each of the two sections has an outer edge opposite the crease.

Abstract: A wafer disk pad is presented having one or more wafer loading points to facilitate wafer loading and unloading using a vacuum wand. The wafer loading points comprise grooves in a base plate. Each groove begins at a frontside surface of the base plate, extends under a portion of an upper surface of the base plate reserved for wafer placement, and is dimensioned to receive a tip of a vacuum wand. In one embodiment, the base plate includes a pair of grooves. A first groove is located on a left side of the wafer disk pad, and is conveniently located and oriented for left-handed operators. A second groove is located on a right side of the wafer disk pad, and is conveniently located and oriented for right-handed operators facing the frontside surface. Each groove is preferably sloped to facilitate separation of the semiconductor wafer from the pad. The depth of each groove is greatest at the frontside surface and decreases with increasing lateral distance into the base plate from the frontside surface.

Abstract: An ion implantation device is presented having a closed-loop pressure control system to reduce pressure fluctuations within a process chamber during ion implantation. A pressure probe extends through a wall of the process chamber or a wall of a beam chamber in gaseous communication with the process chamber. A vacuum measurement unit, coupled to the pressure probe, is configured to produce an electrical pressure signal corresponding to the pressure sensed by the pressure probe. An interface electronics unit coupled to the vacuum measurement unit converts the electrical pressure signal into an electrical control signal for a flow control valve. The flow control valve is coupled to receive the electrical control signal and is configured to control a flow of an inert gas from an inert gas source to a gas inlet port in a wall of the process chamber. The inert gas may comprise argon, nitrogen, or any other gas inert to a wafer fabrication process.

Abstract: A system for measuring thicknesses of a layered workpiece in a silicon integrated circuit manufacturing process. The system includes means for measuring a resistivity of said workpiece, such as an M-Gage; means for transforming a first signal set output by said means for measuring to a second signal set; and means for determining thicknesses of said workpiece layers from said resistivity capable of interpreting the second signal set. The means for transforming includes an interface board. The interface board receives the first signal set and emits the second signal set for receipt by the means for determining when an appropriate signal is received from the means for determining.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for monitoring temperature and current in a gas ignition chamber by monitoring temperature in the gas ignition chamber, monitoring current flowing through first and second ignitors housed in the gas ignition chamber, comparing the temperature of the gas ignition chamber to a predetermined temperature, comparing the current flowing through the first ignitor to a first predetermined current, comparing the current flowing through the second ignitor to a second predetermined current, inactivating the first ignitor and activating the second ignitor whenever the current through the first ignitor becomes less than the first predetermined current, and sounding an audible alarm whenever the current through said second ignitor becomes less than the second predetermined current or whenever the temperature is below the predetermined temperature.

Abstract: An ion implanter is provided having a modulator which provides a variable frequency modulated scan signal. The modulator ensures that the scan signal will not retrace substantially upon itself during a scan cycle, and during subsequent scan cycles. Minimization of retrace allows for a more uniform dopant placed across the upper surface of the wafer and thereby eliminates or minimizes underdoping areas often arising between retraced beam widths when heavy atomic species are implanted.