Reduced path ion beam implanter

Claim 2

An ion beam implant system for controllably treating a workpiece comprising: a) source means for providing ions to treat the workpiece; b) support means for orienting the workpiece at a location relative the source means; c) beam forming means for causing ions emitted by the source means to form an ion beam moving in a first trajectory; d) electrode means for deflecting ions in said ion beam away from said first trajectory by a controlled amount; e) acceleration means for accelerating ions deflected by said controlled amounts prior to said ions impacting the workpiece; and f) control means having an output coupled to said electrode means to adjust the deflecting of said ion beam and thereby control ion beam treatment of the workpiece; g) said acceleration means comprising an entrance electrode and one or more additional electrodes for accelerating said ions to an impact energy, said entrance electrode and the first of said additional electrodes biased at voltages for creating a spatially non-uniform electric field that causes ions following diverse trajectories to be redeflected and impact the workpiece at a relatively uniform angle.

Claim 3

The ion implant system of claim 1 wherein said electrode means and said acceleration means are fixed and the support means comprises means for moving the workpiece relative to the ion beam to treat an entire workpiece surface.

Claim 4

The ion implant system of claim 1 wherein the entrance electrode is an arcuate electrode defining an aperture through which the ion beam passes on its way to the workpiece.

Claim 5

The ion implant system of claim 3 comprising at least two additional electrodes, wherein said additional electrodes are spaced, parallel electrode plates having apertures for transmitting ions passing through the aperture in the arcuate electrode to the workpiece.

Claim 6

The ion implant system of claim 3 wherein at least one of said additional electrodes comprises a spaced electrode plate having a curved entrance surface that is spaced from a curved surface of the entrance electrode.

Claim 7

The ion implant system of claim 5 where the curved entrance surface of the spaced electrode plate has a curvature approximately the same as the curved surface of the entrance electrode.

Claim 8

The ion implant system of claim 4 wherein said electrode plates are separated by insulators.

Claim 9

The ion implant system of claim 5 wherein said electrode plates are separated by insulators.

Claim 10

The ion implant system of claim 1 comprising at least two additional electrodes, wherein a first of the additional electrodes is maintained at a first voltage, a second of the additional electrodes is maintained at a second voltage and the entrance electrode is biased by a lens power supply at a voltage different from the first additional electrode.

Claim 11

The ion implant system of claim 9 wherein the lens power supply biases the entrance electrode at a constant electric potential greater than the first additional electrode for creating a static electric field in a region between the entrance electrode and the first additional electrode.

Claim 12

The ion implant system of claim 10 wherein positively charged ions are accelerated from the source means by an extraction power supply and where the ion energy striking the workpiece is equal to the sum of the high-voltage power supply, the extraction power supply and the lens power supply.

Claim 13

The ion implant system of claim 1 comprising at least two additional electrodes, wherein the entrance electrode is biased at a fixed positive potential by a high voltage power supply and a first of said additional electrodes is biased at a lower potential by a lens power supply while a second of said additional electrodes adjacent an ion beam path downstream from the first additional electrode is maintained at a third fixed potential for accelerating charged ions.

Claim 14

The ion implant system of claim 12 wherein the lens power supply biases the first additional electrode at a voltage less than the entrance electrode.

Claim 15

The ion implant system of claim 13 wherein ions are accelerated from the source means by an extraction power supply and where the ion energy striking the workpiece is equal to the sum of the high voltage power supply and the extraction power supply.

Claim 16

For use with an ion beam implant system, an ion accelerator comprising: a) an arcuate entrance electrode biased at a voltage for creating a non-uniform electric field that causes ions following diverse trajectories within said implant system to be deflected and impact a workpiece at a relatively uniform angle; b) a plurality of additional spaced electrodes for accelerating said ions to an impact energy before striking the workpiece; c) a plurality of insulators separating said electrodes; and d) a power supply for electrically biasing the arcuate entrance electrode at a potential different from the plurality of additional electrodes to create the non-uniform electric field and for electrically biasing the plurality of additional spaced electrodes for accelerating the ions.

Claim 17

For use with an ion beam implant system, an ion accelerator comprising: a) an arcuate entrance electrode biased at a voltage for creating a non-uniform electric field that causes ions following diverse trajectories within said implant system to be deflected and impact a workpiece at a relatively uniform angle; b) a plurality of additional spaced electrodes for accelerating said ions to an impact energy before striking the workpiece; c) a plurality of insulators separating said electrodes; and d) a power supply for electrically biasing the arcuate entrance electrode at a potential different from the plurality of additional electrodes to create the non-uniform electric field and for electrically biasing the plurality of additional spaced electrodes for accelerating the ions.

Claim 18

An ion beam implant system for controllably treating a workpiece comprising: a) source means for providing ions to treat the workpiece; b) support means for orienting the workpiece at a location relative the source means; c) beam forming means for causing ions emitted by the source means to form an ion beam moving in a first trajectory; d) electrode means for deflecting ions in said ion beam away from said first trajectory by a controlled amount; e) acceleration means for accelerating ions deflected by said controlled amounts prior to said ions impacting the workpiece; and f) control means having an output coupled to said electrode means to adjust the deflecting of said ion beam and thereby control ion beam treatment of the workpiece; g) said accelerator means comprising: i) an arcuate entrance electrode symmetric about a non-deflected ion beam path for creating a non-uniform electric field that causes ions following diverse trajectories after passing the electrode means to be redeflected and impact the workpiece at a relatively uniform angle; ii) a plurality of additional, spaced, parallel electrode plates for accelerating said ions to an impact energy; iii) a plurality of insulators separating said plates; and, iv) power supply means for biasing said arcuate entrance electrode relative said plurality of parallel electrode plates wherein a first of the additional electrodes is maintained at a fixed voltage by a high voltage power supply, a second of the additional electrodes is grounded and the entrance electrode is biased by a lens power supply at a voltage higher than the first additional electrode wherein positively charged ions are accelerated to a controlled ion energy when striking the workpiece.

Claim 19

An ion beam implant system for controllably treating a workpiece comprising: a) source means for providing ions to treat the workpiece; b) support means for orienting the workpiece at a location relative the source means; c) beam forming means for causing ions emitted by the source means to form an ion beam moving in a first trajectory; d) electrode means for deflecting ions in said ion beam away from said first trajectory by a controlled amount; e) acceleration means for accelerating ions deflected by said controlled amounts prior to said ions impacting the workpiece; and f) control means having an output coupled to said electrode means to adjust the deflecting of said ion beam and thereby control ion beam treatment of the workpiece; g) said accelerator means comprising: i) an arcuate entrance electrode symmetric about a non-deflected ion beam path for creating a non-uniform electric field that causes ions following diverse trajectories after passing the electrode means to be redeflected and impact the workpiece at a relatively uniform angle; ii) a plurality of additional, spaced, parallel electrode plates for accelerating said ions to an impact energy; iii) a plurality of insulators separating said plates; and, iv) power supply means for biasing said arcuate entrance electrode relative said plurality of parallel electrode plates wherein a first of the additional electrodes is maintained at a fixed voltage by a high voltage power supply, a second of the additional electrodes is grounded and the entrance electrode is biased by a lens power supply at a voltage higher than the first additional electrode wherein positively charged ions are accelerated to a controlled ion energy when striking the workpiece.

Claim 20

The ion beam implant system of claim 16 additionally comprising support means for moving the workpiece in relation to the ion beam.

Claim 23

The method of claim 18 wherein the step of generating the static electric field is performed by biasing an arcuate metallic electrode relative a planar electrode at a location downstream from the region ions diverge from the initial trajectory so that ions enter an aperture in the arcuate electrode, are deflected by the static electric field, and pass through an aperture in the planar electrode before striking the workpiece.