Plasma immersion ion implantation with dielectric substrates

Plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) is a novel implantation technique for high-dose/high-current implants. Using the SPICE circuit simulator to model the PIII process, the sheath voltage and ion energy distribution are examined. Implanting into a dielectric substrate results in a significant voltage buildup in the wafer, reducing the effective implant energy. Increasing the pulse voltage raises the dose/pulse, but at the cost of an expanded implant energy spread. Increasing the plasma ion density also raises the dose/pulse, but at the cost of a wider implant energy spread and a lower coupling efficiency. Increasing the substrate thickness reduces both the coupling efficiency and dose/pulse while broadening the energy spread. The large voltage generated across the dielectric substrate decreases the charge neutralization time significantly, reducing the possibility of gate oxide damage.