Patent · US Expired

Method for generating a boron vapor

US5861630A · kind A · utility

11Cited by
1References
24Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 22, 1997
Grant dateJan 19, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 22, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2237/31701
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of generating substantially pure boron ions for use as a plasma-process feed gas. An electrode substance material in the chamber is comprised of a mixture of boron atoms and metal atoms. The substance or compound is thermally decomposable within a suitable temperature range, to provide boron vapor and other species which are substantially not in the vapor state. A heating of the substance material induces the controlled thermal decomposition of the boron compound in a stoichiometrically favorable manner. Magnetic confinement of the simultaneously released electrons causes numerous collisions, resulting in ionization of the vapor, to the plasma state. This plasma may then be extracted and accelerated at a suitable energy toward a workpiece.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.