Patent · US Active

Method of cleaning an extraction electrode assembly using pulsed biasing

US9711316B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by

4References

7Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc. · US

Inventors

Christopher J. Leavitt · Gloucester, US
Peter F. Kurunczi · Cambridge, US

Key dates

Filing date	Oct 10, 2013
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Dec 10, 2035

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH01J2237/022
WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method of improving the performance and extending the lifetime of an ion source is disclosed. The ion source includes an ion source chamber, a suppression electrode and a ground electrode. In the processing mode, the ion source chamber may be biased to a first positive voltage, while the suppression electrode is biased to a negative voltage to attract positive ions from within the chamber through an aperture and toward the workpiece. In the cleaning mode, the ion beam is defocused so that it strikes the suppression electrode and the ground electrode. The voltages applied to the ion source chamber and the electrodes are pulsed to minimize the possibility of glitches during this cleaning mode.

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