Patents by Inventor Victor Benveniste
Victor Benveniste has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9793087Abstract: A method may include: generating an ion beam from an ion source, the ion beam having an initial direction of propagation; deflecting the ion beam at an initial angle of inclination with respect to the initial direction of propagation; passing the ion beam through an aperture in a magnetic assembly; and generating in the aperture, a quadrupole field extending along a first direction perpendicular to the initial direction of propagation of the ion beam, and a dipole field extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and the initial direction of propagation.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2015Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.Inventors: James S. Buff, Victor Benveniste, Frank Sinclair
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Publication number: 20170076908Abstract: A method may include: generating an ion beam from an ion source, the ion beam having an initial direction of propagation; deflecting the ion beam at an initial angle of inclination with respect to the initial direction of propagation; passing the ion beam through an aperture in a magnetic assembly; and generating in the aperture, a quadrupole field extending along a first direction perpendicular to the initial direction of propagation of the ion beam, and a dipole field extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and the initial direction of propagation.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2015Publication date: March 16, 2017Inventors: James S. Buff, Victor Benveniste, Frank Sinclair
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Patent number: 9018829Abstract: An ion source includes an ion chamber housing defining an ion source chamber, the ion chamber housing having a side with a plurality of apertures. The ion source also includes an antechamber housing defining an antechamber. The antechamber housing shares the side with the plurality of apertures with the ion chamber housing. The antechamber housing has an opening to receive a gas from a gas source. The antechamber is configured to transform the gas into an altered state having excited neutrals that is provided through the plurality of apertures into the ion source chamber.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2013Date of Patent: April 28, 2015Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.Inventors: Bon-Woong Koo, Victor Benveniste, Christopher A. Rowland, Craig R. Chaney, Frank Sinclair, Neil J. Bassom
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Publication number: 20130313443Abstract: An ion source includes an ion chamber housing defining an ion source chamber, the ion chamber housing having a side with a plurality of apertures. The ion source also includes an antechamber housing defining an antechamber. The antechamber housing shares the side with the plurality of apertures with the ion chamber housing. The antechamber housing has an opening to receive a gas from a gas source. The antechamber is configured to transform the gas into an altered state having excited neutrals that is provided through the plurality of apertures into the ion source chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2013Publication date: November 28, 2013Applicant: VARIAN SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATES, INC.Inventors: Bon-Woong Koo, Victor Benveniste, Christopher A. Rowland, Craig R. Chaney, Frank Sinclair, Neil J. Bassom
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Patent number: 8501624Abstract: An ion source that utilizes exited and/or atomic gas injection is disclosed. In an ion beam application, the source gas can be used directly, as it is traditionally supplied. Alternatively or additionally, the source gas can be altered by passing it through a remote plasma source prior to being introduced to the ion source chamber. This can be used to create excited neutrals, heavy ions, metastable molecules or multiply charged ions. In another embodiment, multiple gasses are used, where one or more of the gasses are passed through a remote plasma generator. In certain embodiments, the gasses are combined in a single plasma generator before being supplied to the ion source chamber. In plasma immersion applications, plasma is injected into the process chamber through one or more additional gas injection locations. These injection locations allow the influx of additional plasma, produced by remote plasma sources external to the process chamber.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2008Date of Patent: August 6, 2013Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.Inventors: Bon-Woong Koo, Victor Benveniste, Christopher A. Rowland, Craig R. Chaney, Frank Sinclair, Neil J. Bassom
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Patent number: 8466431Abstract: Techniques for improving extracted ion beam quality using high-transparency electrodes are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as an apparatus for ion implantation. The apparatus may comprise an ion source for generating an ion beam, wherein the ion source comprises a faceplate with an aperture for the ion beam to travel therethrough. The apparatus may also comprise a set of extraction electrodes comprising at least a suppression electrode and a high-transparency ground electrode, wherein the set of extraction electrodes may extract the ion beam from the ion source via the faceplate, and wherein the high-transparency ground electrode may be configured to optimize gas conductance between the suppression electrode and the high-transparency ground electrode for improved extracted ion beam quality.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2009Date of Patent: June 18, 2013Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.Inventors: James S. Buff, Svetlana Radovanov, Bon-Woong Koo, Wilhelm Platow, Frank Sinclair, D. Jeffrey Lischer, Craig R. Chaney, Steven Borichevsky, Eric R. Cobb, Mayur Jagtap, Kenneth H. Purser, Victor Benveniste, Shardul S. Patel
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Patent number: 8436318Abstract: An RF ion source utilizing a heating/RF-shielding element for controlling the temperature of an RF window and to act as an RF shielding element for the RF ion source. When the heating/RF shielding element is in a heating mode, it suppresses formation of unwanted deposits on the RF window which negatively impacts the transfer of RF energy from an RF antenna to a plasma chamber. When the heating/RF-shielding element is in a shielding mode, it provides an electrostatic shielding for the RF ion source.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2010Date of Patent: May 7, 2013Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.Inventors: Frank Sinclair, Costel Biloiu, Bon-Woong Koo, Victor Benveniste, Shardul Patel
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Patent number: 8357912Abstract: Techniques for providing a multimode ion source are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as an apparatus for ion implantation, the apparatus including an ion source having a hot cathode and a high frequency plasma generator, wherein the ion source has multiple modes of operation.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2010Date of Patent: January 22, 2013Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.Inventors: Svetlana Radovanov, Bon-Woong Koo, Frank Sinclair, Victor Benveniste
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Patent number: 8263941Abstract: A ribbon beam mass analyzer having a first and second solenoid coils and steel yoke arrangement. Each of the solenoid coils have a substantially “racetrack” configuration defining a space through which an ion ribbon beam travels. The solenoid coils are spaced apart along the direction of travel of the ribbon beam. Each of the solenoid coils generates a uniform magnetic field to accommodate mass resolution of wide ribbon beams to produce a desired image of ions generated from an ion source.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2009Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.Inventors: Victor Benveniste, James S. Buff, Frank Sinclair, Joseph C. Olson
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Patent number: 8188448Abstract: An ion source is provided that utilizes the same dopant gas supplied to the chamber to generate the desired process plasma to also provide temperature control of the chamber walls during high throughput operations. The ion source includes a chamber having a wall that defines an interior surface. A liner is disposed within the chamber and has at least one orifice to supply the dopant gas to an inside of the chamber. A gap is defined between at least a portion of the interior surface of the chamber wall and the liner. A first conduit is configured to supply dopant gas to the gap where the dopant gas has a flow rate within the gap. A second conduit is configured to remove the dopant gas from the gap, wherein the flow rate of the dopant gas within the gap acts as a heat transfer media to regulate the temperature of the interior of the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2010Date of Patent: May 29, 2012Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.Inventors: Victor Benveniste, Bon-Woong Koo, Shardul Patel, Frank Sinclair
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Patent number: 8183542Abstract: An ion source is provided that utilizes a cooling plate and a gap interface to control the temperature of an ion source chamber. The gap interface is defined between the cooling plate and a wall of the chamber. A coolant gas is supplied to the interface at a given pressure where the pressure determines thermal conductivity from the cooling plate to the chamber to control the temperature of the interior of the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2010Date of Patent: May 22, 2012Assignee: Varion Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.Inventors: Victor Benveniste, Bon-Woong Koo, Shardul Patel, Frank Sinclair
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Patent number: 8129695Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling deflection, deceleration, and focus of an ion beam are disclosed. The apparatus may include a graded deflection/deceleration lens including a plurality of upper and lower electrodes disposed on opposite sides of an ion beam, as well as a control system for adjusting the voltages applied to the electrodes. The difference in potential between pairs of upper and lower electrodes are varied using a set of “virtual knobs” that are operable to independently control deflection and deceleration of the ion beam. The virtual knobs include control of beam focus and residual energy contamination, control of upstream electron suppression, control of beam deflection, and fine tuning of the final deflection angle of the beam while constraining the beam's position at the exit of the lens. In one embodiment, this is done by fine tuning beam deflection while constraining the beam position at the exit of the VEEF.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2009Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.Inventors: Peter L. Kellerman, Frank Sinclair, Victor Benveniste, Jun Lu
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Publication number: 20110240876Abstract: An RF ion source utilizing a heating/RF-shielding element for controlling the temperature of an RF window and to act as an RF shielding element for the RF ion source. When the heating/RF shielding element is in a heating mode, it suppresses formation of unwanted deposits on the RF window which negatively impacts the transfer of RF energy from an RF antenna to a plasma chamber. When the heating/RF-shielding element is in a shielding mode, it provides an electrostatic shielding for the RF ion source.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2010Publication date: October 6, 2011Applicant: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.Inventors: Frank Sinclair, Costel Biloiu, Bon-Woong Koo, Victor Benveniste, Shardul Patel
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Publication number: 20110240878Abstract: An ion source is provided that utilizes the same dopant gas supplied to the chamber to generate the desired process plasma to also provide temperature control of the chamber walls during high throughput operations. The ion source includes a chamber having a wall that defines an interior surface. A liner is disposed within the chamber and has at least one orifice to supply the dopant gas to an inside of the chamber. A gap is defined between at least a portion of the interior surface of the chamber wall and the liner. A first conduit is configured to supply dopant gas to the gap where the dopant gas has a flow rate within the gap. A second conduit is configured to remove the dopant gas from the gap, wherein the flow rate of the dopant gas within the gap acts as a heat transfer media to regulate the temperature of the interior of the chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2010Publication date: October 6, 2011Applicant: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.Inventors: Victor Benveniste, Bon-Woong Koo, Shardul Patel, Frank Sinclair
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Publication number: 20110240877Abstract: An ion source is provided that utilizes a cooling plate and a gap interface to control the temperature of an ion source chamber. The gap interface is defined between the cooling plate and a wall of the chamber. A coolant gas is supplied to the interface at a given pressure where the pressure determines thermal conductivity from the cooling plate to the chamber to control the temperature of the interior of the chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2010Publication date: October 6, 2011Applicant: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.Inventors: Victor Benveniste, Bon-Woong Koo, Shardul Patel, Frank Sinclair
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Publication number: 20110155921Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling deflection, deceleration, and focus of an ion beam are disclosed. The apparatus may include a graded deflection/deceleration lens including a plurality of upper and lower electrodes disposed on opposite sides of an ion beam, as well as a control system for adjusting the voltages applied to the electrodes. The difference in potential between pairs of upper and lower electrodes are varied using a set of “virtual knobs” that are operable to independently control deflection and deceleration of the ion beam. The virtual knobs include control of beam focus and residual energy contamination, control of upstream electron suppression, control of beam deflection, and fine tuning of the final deflection angle of the beam while constraining the beam's position at the exit of the lens. In one embodiment, this is done by fine tuning beam deflection while constraining the beam position at the exit of the VEEF.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2009Publication date: June 30, 2011Applicant: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.Inventors: Peter L. Kellerman, Frank Sinclair, Victor Benveniste, Jun Lu
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Patent number: 7897945Abstract: Ion implanters incorporating multibeam ion sources are used to meet process dose and energy demands associated with fabricating a thin lamina for use in photovoltaic devices. The thin lamina are formed by ion implantation followed by cleaving.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2008Date of Patent: March 1, 2011Assignee: Twin Creeks Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Thomas Parrill, Victor Benveniste
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Patent number: 7807983Abstract: A technique for reducing magnetic fields at an implant location is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as an apparatus and method for reducing magnetic fields at an implant location. The apparatus and method may comprise a corrector-bar assembly comprising a set of magnetic core members, a plurality of coils distributed along the set of magnetic core members, and connecting elements to connect ends of the set of magnetic core members with each other to form a rectangular corrector-bar configuration. The corrector-bar assembly may be positioned at an exit region of a magnetic deflector to improve uniformity of a ribbon beam having a plurality of beamlets exiting from the magnetic deflector and the rectangular corrector-bar configuration may provide a desired magnetic field clamping action.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2007Date of Patent: October 5, 2010Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.Inventors: Kenneth H. Purser, James S. Buff, Victor Benveniste
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Publication number: 20100140077Abstract: An ion source that utilizes exited and/or atomic gas injection is disclosed. In an ion beam application, the source gas can be used directly, as it is traditionally supplied. Alternatively or additionally, the source gas can be altered by passing it through a remote plasma source prior to being introduced to the ion source chamber. This can be used to create excited neutrals, heavy ions, metastable molecules or multiply charged ions. In another embodiment, multiple gasses are used, where one or more of the gasses are passed through a remote plasma generator. In certain embodiments, the gasses are combined in a single plasma generator before being supplied to the ion source chamber. In plasma immersion applications, plasma is injected into the process chamber through one or more additional gas injection locations. These injection locations allow the influx of additional plasma, produced by remote plasma sources external to the process chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2008Publication date: June 10, 2010Inventors: Bon-Woong Koo, Victor Benveniste, Christopher A. Rowland, Craig R. Chaney, Frank Sinclair, Neil J. Bassom
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Publication number: 20100116983Abstract: A ribbon beam mass analyzer having a first and second solenoid coils and steel yoke arrangement. Each of the solenoid coils have a substantially “racetrack” configuration defining a space through which an ion ribbon beam travels. The solenoid coils are spaced apart along the direction of travel of the ribbon beam. Each of the solenoid coils generates a uniform magnetic field to accommodate mass resolution of wide ribbon beams to produce a desired image of ions generated from an ion source.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2009Publication date: May 13, 2010Applicant: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.Inventors: Victor Benveniste, James S. Buff, Frank Sinclair, Joseph C. Olson