Hybrid apparatus, system and techniques for mass analyzed ion beam

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12573579-B2
Application number	US-202318131287-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2023
Priority date	Apr 5, 2023
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

An apparatus, including an electrodynamic mass analysis (EDMA) assembly. The EDMA assembly may include a first upper electrode, disposed above a beam axis; and a first lower electrode, disposed below the beam axis, opposite the first upper electrode, the EDMA assembly arranged to receive a first RF voltage signal at a first frequency. The apparatus may include a deflection assembly, disposed downstream to the EDMA assembly, the deflection assembly comprising a blocker, disposed along the beam axis. The apparatus may include an energy spread reducer (ESR), disposed downstream to the deflection assembly, the energy spread reducer arranged to receive a second RF voltage signal at a second frequency, twice the first frequency. The ESR may include an upper ESR electrode, disposed above the beam axis; and a lower ESR electrode, disposed below the beam axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
an electrodynamic mass analysis (EDMA) assembly comprising:
a first upper electrode, disposed above a beam axis; and
a first lower electrode, disposed below the beam axis, opposite the first upper electrode, the EDMA assembly arranged to receive a first RF voltage signal at a first frequency;
a deflection assembly, disposed downstream to the EDMA assembly, the deflection assembly comprising a blocker, disposed along the beam axis; and an energy spread reducer (ESR), disposed downstream to the deflection assembly, the energy spread reducer arranged to receive a second RF voltage signal at a second frequency, twice the first frequency, the energy spread reducer comprising:
an upper ESR electrode, disposed above the beam axis; and
a lower ESR electrode, disposed below the beam axis.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the energy spread reducer further comprising a middle ESR electrode, disposed between the upper ESR electrode and the lower ESR electrode, wherein the upper ESR electrode, the middle ESR electrode and the lower ESR electrode form a dual channel ESR.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the deflection assembly further comprising an upper deflection electrode, disposed on a first side of the blocker, and a lower deflection electrode, disposed on a second side of the blocker.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a convergent ion beam assembly, disposed upstream of the EDMA assembly.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the convergent ion beam assembly comprises an Einzel lens.

6 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the convergent ion beam assembly comprises a tetrode assembly, wherein a third electrode of the tetrode assembly is biased positively.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a blocking aperture, disposed downstream to the energy spread reducer.

8 . An ion beam processing system, comprising:
an ion source, to generate an ion beam as a continuous ion beam; an electrodynamic mass analysis (EDMA) assembly, disposed downstream of the ion source, and comprising:
a first upper electrode, disposed above a beam axis; and
a first lower electrode, disposed below the beam axis, opposite the first upper electrode, the EDMA assembly arranged to receive a first RF voltage signal at a first frequency;
a deflection assembly, disposed downstream to the EDMA assembly, the deflection assembly comprising a blocker, disposed along the beam axis; and an energy spread reducer (ESR), disposed downstream to the deflection assembly, the ESR arranged to receive a second RF voltage signal at a second frequency, twice the first frequency, the energy spread reducer comprising:
an upper ESR electrode, disposed above the beam axis; and
a lower ESR electrode, disposed below the beam axis.

9 . The ion beam processing system of claim 8 , further comprising:
an EDMA power supply, arranged to apply the first RF voltage signal between the first upper electrode and the first lower electrode; a deflection power supply, arranged to apply a static bias voltage between the blocker and the deflection assembly; and an ESR power supply, arranged to apply the second RF voltage signal.

10 . The ion beam processing system of claim 8 , the energy spread reducer further comprising a middle ESR electrode, disposed between the upper ESR electrode and the lower ESR electrode, wherein the upper ESR electrode, the middle ESR electrode and the lower ESR electrode form a dual channel ESR.

11 . The ion beam processing system of claim 8 , further comprising a convergent ion beam assembly, disposed upstream of the EDMA assembly.

12 . The ion beam processing system of claim 11 , wherein the convergent ion beam assembly comprises an Einzel lens.

13 . The ion beam processing system of claim 11 , wherein the convergent ion beam assembly comprises a tetrode assembly, wherein a third electrode of the tetrode assembly is biased positively.

14 . The ion beam processing system of claim 8 , further comprising an electrostatic energy filter, arranged downstream to the EDMA assembly, and comprising a plurality of electrodes to alter a direction of propagation of the ion beam, wherein the plurality of electrodes are positioned asymmetrically about the beam axis.

15 . A method, comprising:
directing an ion beam as a continuous ion beam into an EDMA assembly, comprising a first upper electrode and a first lower electrode; applying a first RF voltage signal applied at a first frequency to the ion beam in the EDMA assembly, while the ion beam is transported through the EDMA assembly; blocking a path of a portion of the ion beam along a beam axis at a position downstream to the EDMA assembly, using a blocker, wherein a mass analyzed bunched ion beam is generated; and applying an accelerating RF voltage signal to the mass analyzed bunched ion beam as the mass analyzed bunched ion beam passes through an energy spread reducer, wherein the accelerating RF voltage signal is applied at a second frequency, twice the first frequency.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising: applying a DC deflection voltage between the blocker and a pair of deflection electrodes, while the ion beam traverses between the EDMA assembly and the energy spread reducer.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the ion beam is provided to the EDMA assembly as a convergent ion beam.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the energy spread reducer comprising:
an upper ESR electrode, disposed above the beam axis; and a lower ESR electrode, disposed below the beam axis.

19 . The method of claim 18 , the energy spread reducer further comprising a middle ESR electrode, disposed between the upper ESR electrode and the lower ESR electrode.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the blocker is disposed at least partially downstream to the pair of deflection electrodes.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Likhanskii Alexandre
• Kurunczi Peter F
• Chopra Nirbhav Singh
• Renau Anthony
• Olson Joseph C
• Sinclair Frank

Classifications

• H01J2237/057

  Energy or mass filtering · CPC title

• H01J2237/2505

  characterised by their application · CPC title

• H01J37/12

  electrostatic · CPC title

• H01J2237/1207

  Einzel lenses · CPC title

• H01J37/09

  Diaphragms; Shields associated with electron or ion-optical arrangements; Compensation of disturbing fields · CPC title