Patrick Splinter

Optima HD: Single Wafer Mechanical Scan Ion Implanter

The trend toward single wafer high current ion implanters to support high tilt angles and to avoid damage during the implant process has led to the novel design of the Optima HD architecture. A high frequency (> 3 Hz) reciprocating pendulum coupled with a fixed spot beam has effectively extended the dose operating range without sacrificing wafer throughput. A high scan frequency enables more reliable dose uniformity by allowing a greater number of wafer passes through the ion beam in a given time period. A fixed spot beam preserves the important performance characteristics of rapid beam setup and precise angle control typical of conventional high current implanters. This paper will examine the design approach used to deliver high scan rates with a reciprocating pendulum mechanism. The challenges overcome include the minimization of vibration coupling, angle control, wafer handling and the preservation of the ion beam focal length to the wafer plane. Together with the novel wafer scan approach, the beamlin...