| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20080237496 | Techniques for Improving the Performance and Extending the Lifetime of an Ion Source with Gas Mixing - Techniques improving the performance and extending the lifetime of an ion source with gas mixing are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for improving performance and extending lifetime of an ion source in an ion implanter. The method may comprise introducing a predetermined amount of dopant gas into an ion source chamber. The dopant gas may comprise a dopant species. The method may also comprise introducing a predetermined amount of diluent gas into the ion source chamber. The diluent gas may dilute the dopant gas to improve the performance and extend the lifetime of the ion source. The diluent gas may further comprise a co-species that is the same as the dopant species. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080245957 | TUNING AN ION IMPLANTER FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE - An approach that tunes an ion implanter for optimal performance is described. In one embodiment, there is a system for tuning an ion implanter having multiple beamline elements to generate an ion beam having desired beam properties. In this embodiment, the system comprises a beamline element settings controller configured to provide beamline element settings for generating the desired beam properties. A tuning model correlates the beamline element settings with beam properties. A calibration component is configured to calibrate the tuning model in response to a determination that beam properties measured from using the tuned beamline element settings differs from the determined tuned beamline element settings. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20090104719 | Plasma Doping System with In-Situ Chamber Condition Monitoring - A method of in-situ monitoring of a plasma doping process includes generating a plasma comprising dopant ions in a chamber proximate to a platen supporting a substrate. A platen is biased with a bias voltage waveform having a negative potential that attracts ions in the plasma to the substrate for plasma doping. A dose of ions attracted to the substrate is measured. At least one sensor measurement is performed to determine the condition of the plasma chamber. In addition, at least one plasma process parameter is modified in response to the measured dose and in response to the at least one sensor measurement. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090104761 | Plasma Doping System With Charge Control - A method of plasma doping includes generating a plasma comprising dopant ions proximate to a platen supporting a substrate in a plasma chamber. The platen is biased with a bias voltage waveform having a negative potential that attracts ions in the plasma to the substrate for plasma doping. At least one sensor measuring data related to charging conditions favorable for forming an electrical discharge is monitored. At least one plasma process parameter is modified in response to the measured data, thereby reducing a probability of forming an electrical discharge. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090166566 | High tilt implant angle performance using in-axis tilt - The present invention comprises a method for high tilt angle implantation, with angular precision not previously achievable. An ion beam, having a width and height dimension, is made up of a number of individual beamlets. These beamlets typically display a higher degree of parallelism in one of these two dimensions. Thus, to minimize angular error, the workpiece is tilted about an axis substantially perpendicular to the dimension having the higher degree of parallelism. The workpiece is then implanted at a high tilt angle and rotated about a line orthogonal to the surface of the workpiece. This process can be repeated until the high tilt implantation has been performed in all required regions. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090206273 | APPARATUS FOR MEASURING BEAM CHARACTERISTICS AND A METHOD THEREOF - An apparatus and a method for detecting particle beam characteristics are disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus may have a body including a first end and second end and at least one detector between the first and second ends. The apparatus may have a transparent state where a portion of the particles entering the apparatus may pass through the apparatus. The apparatus may also have a minimum transparency state where substantially all of the particles entering the apparatus may be prevented from passing through the apparatus and detected. Different transparency state may be achieved by rotating the apparatus or the detector contained therein. With the apparatus, it is possible to detect the beam properties such as the beam intensity, angle, parallelism, and a distribution of the particles in a particle beam. | 08-20-2009 |
| 20090317937 | Maskless Doping Technique for Solar Cells - A improved, lower cost method of producing solar cells utilizing selective emitter design is disclosed. The contact regions are created on the substrate without the use of lithography or masks. The method utilizes ion implantation technology, and the relatively low accuracy requirements of the contact regions to reduce the process steps needed to produce a solar cell. In some embodiments, the current of the ion beam is selectively modified to create the highly doped contact regions. In other embodiments, the ion beam is focused, either through the use of an aperture or via adjustments to the beam line components to create the necessary doping profile. In still other embodiments, the wafer scan rate is modified to create the desired ion implantation pattern. | 12-24-2009 |
| 20100048018 | Doped Layers for Reducing Electromigration - A method of fabricating metal interconnects with reduced electromigration includes depositing metal interconnects on a substrate comprising electronic devices. A layer is deposited on the metal interconnects. The layer is doped with at least one dopant having a dopant concentration that increases an electromigration resistance of the metal atoms. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100090131 | METHOD OF DETERMINING ANGLE MISALIGNMENT IN BEAM LINE ION IMPLANTERS - A method includes directing an ion beam at a plurality of differing incident angles with respect to a target surface of a substrate by tilting the substrate as the ion beam is distributed across the target surface to implant ions into a plurality of portions of the substrate, wherein each one of the plurality of differing incident angles is associated with a different one of the plurality of portions, measuring angle sensitive data from each of the plurality of portions of to the substrate, and determining an angle misalignment between the target surface and the ion beam incident on the target surface from the angle sensitive data. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100197125 | TECHNIQUE FOR PROCESSING A SUBSTRATE - An improved technique for processing a substrate is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as a method for processing a substrate. The method may comprise ion implanting a substrate disposed downstream of the ion source with ions generated in an ion source; and disposing a first portion of a mask in front of the substrate to expose the first portion of the mask to the ions, the mask being supported by the first and second mask holders, the mask further comprising a second portion wound in the first mask holder. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100197126 | USE OF CHAINED IMPLANTS IN SOLAR CELL - The manufacture of solar cells is simplified and cost reduced through by performing successive ion implants, without an intervening thermal cycle. In addition to reducing process time, the use of chained ion implantations may also improve the performance of the solar cell. In another embodiment, two different species are successively implanted without breaking vacuum. In another embodiment, the substrate is implanted, then flipped such that it can be and implanted on both sides before being annealed. In yet another embodiment, one or more different masks are applied and successive implantations are performed without breaking the vacuum condition, thereby reducing the process time. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100224240 | COUNTERDOPING FOR SOLAR CELLS - Methods of counterdoping a solar cell, particularly an IBC solar cell are disclosed. One surface of a solar cell may require portions to be n-doped, while other portions are p-doped. Traditionally, a plurality of lithography and doping steps are required to achieve this desired configuration. In contrast, one lithography step can be eliminated by the use of a blanket doping of one conductivity and a mask patterned counterdoping process of the opposite conductivity. The areas dosed during the masked patterned doping receive a sufficient dose so as to completely reverse the effect of the blanket doping and achieve a conductivity that is opposite the blanket doping. In another embodiment, the counterdoping is performed by means of a direct patterning technique, thereby eliminating the remaining lithography step. Various methods of direct counterdoping processes are disclosed. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20110039367 | MASKED ION IMPLANT WITH FAST-SLOW SCAN - An improved method of producing solar cells utilizes a mask which is fixed relative to an ion beam in an ion implanter. The ion beam is directed through a plurality of apertures in the mask toward a substrate. The substrate is moved at different speeds such that the substrate is exposed to an ion dose rate when the substrate is moved at a first scan rate and to a second ion dose rate when the substrate is moved at a second scan rate. By modifying the scan rate, various dose rates may be implanted on the substrate at corresponding substrate locations. This allows ion implantation to be used to provide precise doping profiles advantageous for manufacturing solar cells. | 02-17-2011 |
| 20110124186 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLABLY IMPLANTING WORKPIECES - A plasma processing apparatus comprises a plasma source configured to produce a plasma in a plasma chamber, such that the plasma contains ions for implantation into a workpiece. The apparatus also includes a focusing plate arrangement having an aperture arrangement configured to modify a shape of a plasma sheath of the plasma proximate the focusing plate such that ions exiting an aperture of the aperture arrangement define focused ions. The apparatus further includes a processing chamber containing a workpiece spaced from the focusing plate such that a stationary implant region of the focused ions at the workpiece is substantially narrower that the aperture. The apparatus is configured to create a plurality of patterned areas in the workpiece by scanning the workpiece during ion implantation. | 05-26-2011 |
