Clustertool system software using plasma immersion ion implantation

• US 6,321,134 B1
• Filed: 07/28/1998
• Issued: 11/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Silicon Genesis
• Original Assignee: Silicon Genesis
• Inventors: Henley, Francois J., Cheung, Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): DU, THUAN N
• Application Number:
  US09/124,156
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 700/121, 156/329.6, 156/329, 118/715, 118/722, 118/724
• US Class Current: 700/121
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/48 Ion implantation
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/54 Controlling or regulating the coating process
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/56 Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating; Arrangements for maintaining the vacuum, e.g. vacuum locks
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/54 Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32412 Plasma immersion ion implantation
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32743 for introducing the material into processing chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67092 Apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting, see the relevant groups in subclasses B24B or B28D
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67167 surrounding a central transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67173 in-line arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67213 comprising at least one ion or electron beam chamber coating by ion implantation C23C; ion or electron beam tubes H01J37/00

Abstract

A cluster tool system having a computer memory. The memory has a variety of codes for operating a plasma immersion ion implantation chamber. In some embodiments, the cluster tool method also includes computer codes for a controlled cleaving process chamber, as well as others.

Claims

1. A clustertool system for forming substrates, said clustertool including a memory comprising:

a code directed to providing a donor substrate;

a code directed to placing said donor substrate in a plasma immersion ion implantation chamber;

a code directed to introducing plasma particles through a surface of said donor substrate to a selected depth underneath said surface, said particles being at a concentration at said selected depth to define a substrate material to be removed above said selected depth;

a code directed to placing said donor substrate in a second chamber and joining said donor substrate to a target substrate, said surface of said donor substrate facing a face of said target substrate to form a multi-layered substrate;

a code directed to placing said multi-layered substrate in a third chamber; and

a code directed to providing energy to a selected region of said substrate to initiate a controlled cleaving action at said selected depth in said substrate wherein said code directed to providing energy increases a controlled stress in said substrate material and sustains said controlled cleaving action to remove said substrate material from said donor substrate to provide a film of material, whereupon said cleaving action is made using a propagating cleave front to free a portion of said substrate material to be removed from said substrate.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said particles are derived from hydrogen gas, helium gas, water vapor, methane, and hydrogen compounds, and other light atomic mass particles.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said particles are selected from the group consisting of neutral or charged molecules or atoms, or electrons.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said particles are energetic.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said energetic particles have sufficient kinetic energy to penetrate through said surface to said selected depth underneath said surface.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said code directed to providing energy sustains said controlled cleaving action to remove said substrate material from said donor substrate to provide a film of material.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a code directed to providing additional energy to said donor substrate to sustain said controlled cleaving action to remove said substrate material from said donor substrate to provide a film of material.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a code directed to providing additional energy to said donor substrate to increase a controlled stress in said substrate material and sustains said controlled cleaving action to remove said substrate material from said donor substrate to provide a film of material.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a code directed to increasing an energy level of said donor substrate while substantially preventing a possibility of cleaving said substrate material at said selected depth.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a code directed to increasing a stress of said substrate while substantially preventing a possibility of cleaving said donor substrate at said selected depth.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said energy is provided by a thermal source or sink, a mechanical source, a chemical source, and an electrical source.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said chemical source is selected from particles, fluids, gases, or liquids.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said chemical source includes a chemical reaction.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said chemical source is selected from flood, time-varying, spatially varying, or continuous.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein said mechanical source is derived from rotational, translational, compressional, expansional, or ultrasonic.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein said mechanical source is selected from flood, time-varying, spatially varying, or continuous.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein electrical source is selected from a group consisting of an applied voltage or an applied electromagnetic field.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein said electrical source is selected from flood, time-varying, spatially varying, or continuous.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein said thermal source or sink is selected from radiation, convection, or conduction.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said thermal source is selected from a photon beam, a fluid jet, a liquid jet, a gas jet, an electromagnetic field, a gas jet, an electron beam, a thermo-electric heating, and a furnace.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein said thermal sink is selected from a fluid jet, a liquid jet, a gas jet, a cryogenic fluid, a super-cooled liquid, a thermo-electric cooling means, and an electro/magnetic field.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein said thermal source is selected from flood, time-varying, spatially varying, or continuous.

23. The system of claim 1 further comprising a code directed to maintain said substrate at a temperature ranging between −

200°

C. and 450°

C.