Recent advances in plasma-based ion sources for commercial ion implantation of semiconductors

Summary form only given. Commercial Ion Implanters have always used plasma sources to generate the dopant ions which form the implanter ion beam. This variable-energy beam is used to modify the electrical properties of silicon wafer substrates. We will describe some of the source technologies which have recently been developed specifically for ion implant. The standard technology in the industry is the enhanced Bernas hot cathode arc discharge source, but more recently an indirectly-heated cathode version has been developed which yields more attractive production performance and reliability. Both of these design configurations have been further customized by OEM's, for example by implementing dual emitter configurations. The implant application of RF ion sources will also be discussed and a historical context will be established, focusing on the advantages of the relatively cold plasma provided by the RF source technology originally developed for neutral beam injection in fusion research.