Axcelis Technologies, Inc.

Ion implantation systems and methods implant varying energies of an ion beam across a workpiece in a serial single-workpiece end station, where electrodes of an acceleration/deceleration stage, bend electrode and/or energy filter control a final energy or path of the ion beam to the workpiece. The bend electrode or an energy filter can form part of the acceleration/deceleration stage or can be positioned downstream. A scanning apparatus scans the ion beam and/or the workpiece, and a power source provides varied electrical bias signals to the electrodes. A controller selectively varies the electrical bias signals concurrent with the scanning of the ion beam and/or workpiece through the ion beam based on a desired ion beam energy at the workpiece. A waveform generator can provide the variation and synchronize the electrical bias signals supplied to the acceleration/deceleration stage, bend electrode and/or energy filter.

A mobile detection system that follows the high energy beamline during a tuning phase/startup phase of an ion implantation system or otherwise having a passive mobile monitoring system around the ion implantation system can identify radiation conditions that stationary detection systems outside or even inside the system may have missed or poorly reported data on. A mobile detection system that can move a radiation detector to pinpoint location near the ion implantation system or wafer cassette and take detailed data readings very near the source will provide enhanced abilities to determine radiation conditions and appropriately determine shutdown and cooldown times, thereby improving efficient use of the system.

An electrode apparatus for an ion implantation system has a base plate having a base plate aperture and at least one securement region. A securement apparatus is associated with each securement region, and a plurality of electrode rods are selectively coupled to the base plate by the securement apparatus. The plurality of electrode rods have a predetermined shape to define an optical region that is associated with the base plate aperture. An electrical coupling electrically connects to the plurality of electrode rods and is configured to electrically connect to an electrical potential. The plurality of electrode rods have a predetermined shape configured to define a path of a charged particle passing between the plurality of electrode rods based on the electrical potential. The plurality of electrode rods can define a suppressor or ground electrode downstream of an extraction aperture of an ion source.

An ion implantation system includes a spectroscopy-based safety system for nuclear reaction detection. A spectra analysis and safety system are disclosed herein. Associated methodology for use with the system includes processing data received from photon energy resolving spectrometers in order to identify detected photon energy, and alert the operator to the same and/or shutdown the system.

An arc chamber for an ion source provides a source of thermal radiation positioned within an interior region of the arc chamber. One or more components generally enclose the interior region of the arc chamber, defining an arc chamber environment within the interior region of the arc chamber. A thermal radiation shield is positioned between the one or more components and an external environment outside of the arc chamber and limits a transfer of the thermal radiation from the chamber environment to the external environment. The one or more components can be an extraction aperture plate having an extraction aperture defined therethrough. The thermal radiation shield is positioned proximate to, and covers at least approximately 75% of the exterior surface of the extraction aperture plate to primarily prevent thermal radiation for passing through the extraction aperture plate.

An ion implantation system, ion source, and method are provided for forming an aluminum ion beam from an aluminum-containing species to an ion source. One or more of a halide species and a halide molecule are introduced to the ion source, where the halide species is selected from a group consisting of atomic chlorine, atomic bromine, and atomic iodine, and the halide molecule comprises a halide selected from a group consisting of chlorine, bromine, and iodine. The one or more of the halide species and the halide molecule clean one or more components of the ion source and further react with the aluminum-containing species to generate an aluminum-halide vapor. The aluminum ion beam is further formed from at least the aluminum-halide vapor.

An ion source has arc chamber having one or more radiation generating features, an arc chamber body enclosing an internal volume, and at least one gas inlet aperture defined therein. A gas source provides a gas such as a source species gas or a halide through the gas inlet aperture. The source species gas can be an aluminum-based ion source material such as dimethylaluminum chloride (DMAC). One or more shields positioned proximate to the gas inlet aperture provide a fluid communication between the gas inlet aperture and the internal volume, minimize a line-of-sight from the one or more radiation generating features to the gas inlet aperture, and substantially prevent thermal radiation from reaching the gas inlet aperture from the one or more radiation generating features.

An ion implantation system has a first linear accelerator for accelerating ions of an ion beam to a first energy along a beam path. A second linear accelerator positioned downstream of the first linear accelerator along the beam path accelerates the ions to a second energy. A charge stripper has a stripper tube with a passageway positioned between the first and second linear accelerators. A charge stripping medium is provided in the passageway to strip at least one electron from the ions as the ion beam passes through the charge stripping medium. A focusing apparatus is associated with the stripper tube to control a trajectory of the ions within the passageway of the stripper tube. The focusing apparatus can be two or more quadrupoles and include an electrostatic lens, a magnet, a solenoid, or a Einzel lens.

A high-energy ion implantation system has an ion source and mass analyzer to form and analyze an ion beam along a beam path. A first RF LINAC accelerates the ion beam to a first accelerator exit, and a second RF LINAC accelerates the ion beam to a second accelerator exit along the beam path. A first magnet between the first and second RF LINACs alters the beam path along a first plane. A third RF LINAC accelerates the ion beam, and a second magnet between the second and third RF LINACs alters the beam path along a second plane. A beam shaping apparatus defines a shape of the ion beam, and a third magnet between the third RF LINAC beam shaping apparatus alters the beam path along a third plane, where the first, second, and third planes are not coplanar.

A resonator is provided for an RF linear accelerator and has a housing defining a housing volume. An electrode is configured to accelerate ions and is disposed external to the housing volume. A tube is electrically conductive and has an electrode portion and a coil portion. The electrode portion is electrically coupled to the electrode. The tube is generally defined by a tube diameter. The coil portion has a predetermined shape when viewed along a first axis and is disposed within the housing volume. The coil portion defines a coil length when viewed perpendicular to the first axis. The coil portion of the tube is turned three or fewer turns about the first axis. The coil length is less than approximately six times the tube diameter, and six times the tube diameter is less than approximately 1500 mm.