Richard S. Ray

High-efficiency, high-productivity boron doping implantation by diboron tetrafluoride (B 2 F 4 ) gas on Applied Materials solar ion implanter

Ion implantation is known for its precise control and reproducibility of doping, enabling it to become one of the main approaches for high-efficiency cell manufacturing in the solar industry. Among the dopant materials, boron doping often represents the largest challenge to productivity as the efficiency of the traditional doping material, boron trifluoride (BF3), is always low. This paper presents a high-efficiency and high-productivity solution for boron doping on an Applied Materials solar ion implanter by using diboron tetrafluoride (B2F4) as a replacement gaseous boron source material for BF3. Both the B+ beam current and source life effects were evaluated. With optimized source parameters and beam tuning, the solar implanter with B2F4 has demonstrated significant improvements for both B+ beam current performance and source lifetime.

Beam current improvement and source life performance of diboron tetrafluoride (B2F4) for boron implantation on applied materials VIISta high current implanters

High dose p-type boron doping is a significant productivity challenge for conventional beamline ion implant tools in semiconductor wafer fabrication. Currently, the primary feed gas for boron implantation is boron trifluoride, BF3. This paper discusses the testing performed on Applied Materials VIISta high current implanters using diboron tetrafluoride, B2F4, as an alternative gaseous boron source material that can be a replacement for BF3. Both the beam current and source life for B2F4 were evaluated. B2F4 enables a significant beam current improvement over BF3 while maintaining good source life, beam stability, and a high automatic beam setup success rate.