Novel Ion Source for the Production of Extended Sheet Beams

We describe a new ion source developed for a commercial ion implanter. The ion source generates a “sheet beam” of about 300 mm in length and about 15mm in width, and produces ion species commonly used in silicon processing, such as boron, arsenic, and phosphorus. We present mass spectra, and spatial beam profiles collected by a multi-pixel Faraday array. The design and operating principles of the ion source are discussed. The source incorporates an “ion pump” feature which increases its efficiency in generating positive molecular ions.