EP0480688A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Plasma source arrangement for ion implantation
Assignee: Raytheon Co
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Filing: 1991-10-09
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-10-09
Abstract
Abstract An object (14) which is to be implanted with ions is enclosed in a container (12). A plasma (44) is generated in a chamber (26) which is separate from, and opens into the container (12). The plasma diffuses from the chamber (26) into the container (12) to surround the object (14) with uniform density. High voltage negative pulses are applied to the object (14), causing the ions to be accelerated from the plasma (44) toward, and be implanted into, the object (14). Line-of-sight communication between a plasma generation source (30) located in the chamber (26) and the object (14) is blocked, thereby eliminating undesirable effects including heating of the object (14) by the source (30) and transfer of thermally discharged material from the source (30) to the object (14). Two or more chambers (26,34) may be provided for generating independent plasmas (44,46) of different ion species which diffuse into and uniformly mix in the container (12). The attributes of the different plasmas (44,46) may be individually selected and controlled in the respective chambers (26,34).
Inventors
- 👤 Jesse N. Matossian
- 👤 Dan M. Goebel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 02:50
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05H; H05H1/00; H05H1/24; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/32431; H01J37/3266; H01J37/32688; C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/22; C23C14/48; H01J37/32009; H01J37/32412; H01J37/32697; H01J37/32706
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
82 words
A plasma source ion implantation apparatus, comprising: a container for enclosing an object to be implanted; a plasma generation chamber which is separate from and opens into the container; plasma source means for generating a plasma of ions in the generation chamber which diffuses into the container and surrounds the object with uniform density; and power source means for applying an electrical potential to the object which causes ions to be accelerated from the plasma toward and be implanted into the object.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus as in claim 1, in which the plasma source means comprises: supply means for supplying an ionizable gas into the generation chamber; and discharging means for creating a plasma discharge in the gas.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus as in claim 2, in which the discharging means comprises a thermionic hollow cathode.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus as in claim 2, in which the discharging means comprises a hot filament for bombarding the gas with electrons.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus as in claim 2, in which the discharging means comprises means for radiating an electromagnetic wave into the gas.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
An apparatus as in claim 2, in which the gas is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, neon, aluminum and argon.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising confinement means for confining the plasma in the container.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus as in claim 7, in which the confinement means comprises a plurality of magnets spaced about the periphery of the container.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus as in claim 1, in which the power source means is constructed to apply the electrical potential to the object in the form of negative pulses.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising means for blocking line-of-sight communication between the plasma source means and the object.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
95 words
An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising: a second plasma generation chamber which is separate from the container and said generation chamber, and opens into the container; and second plasma source means for generating a second plasma of ions in the second generation chamber which diffuses into the container and surrounds the object with uniform density; the ions of the second plasma being different from and uniformly mixing with the ions of said plasma in the container, and being accelerated from the second plasma toward and implanted into the object by the electrical potential.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
An apparatus as in claim 11, further comprising control means for individually controlling said plasma source means and the second plasma source means to control the attributes of said plasma and the second plasma generated thereby respectively.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus as in claim 11, further comprising a plenum chamber which opens into the container, said plasma generation chamber and the second plasma generation chamber opening into the plenum chamber.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
74 words
A method of implanting ions from a plasma into an object, comprising the steps of: (a) enclosing the object in a container; (b) generating a plasma of ions separately from the container, and causing the plasma to diffuse into the container to surround the object with uniform density; and (c) applying an electrical potential to the object which causes the ions to be accelerated from the plasma toward and be implanted into the object.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as in claim 14, further comprising the step of: (d) applying a magnetic field to confine the plasma in the container.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as in claim 14, in which step (c) comprises applying the electrical potential in the form of negative pulses.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method as in claim 14, in which step (b) comprises the substeps of: (d) providing a plasma generation chamber which is separate from and communicates with the container; (e) providing plasma source means in the generation chamber; and (f) blocking line-of-sight communication between the generating means and the object.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
93 words
A method as in claim 14, further comprising the step of: (d) generating a second plasma of ions separately from the container, the ions of the second plasma being different from the ions of said plasma, and causing the second plasma to diffuse into the container to surround the object with uniform density, the ions of the second plasma uniformly mixing with the ions of said plasma; step (c) comprising applying the electrical potential to the object such that the ions of the second plasma are accelerated toward and implanted into the object.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as in claim 18, in which: step (b) comprises individually controlling the attributes of said plasma; and step (d) comprises individually controlling the attributes of the second plasma.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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