Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for improved scanning efficiency in an ion implanter

US5981961A · kind A · utility

23Cited by
19References
53Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 15, 1997
Grant dateNov 9, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 15, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2237/31703
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An ion implanter for implanting ions into a substrate comprises an ion beam generator for generating a beam of ions, support means for carrying a substrate to be implanted with beam ions, scanning means for scanning at least one of the substrate and the ion beam relative to the other so that the beam traverses the substrate along a predetermined path. Monitoring means are arranged to monitor changes in the proportion of the ion beam cross-sectional area incident on the substrate as the ion beam traverses the edge of the substrate from a position in the scan at which the proportion is finite to a position at which the proportion is zero. The implanter further comprises detection means responsive to the monitoring means for detecting the moment when the proportion reaches zero from a finite value as the ion beam and/or substrate moves along the predetermined path, and operative means responsive to the detection means detecting the moment when the proportion of the beam cross-sectional area incident on the substrate reaches zero, for performing a subsequent operation in the ion implanter.

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