In-situ ion implant activation and measurement apparatus

• US 6,417,515 B1
• Filed: 03/17/2000
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Veeco Instruments Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Barrett, Howard T., Furukawa, Toshiharu, Ellis-Monaghan, John J., Slinkman, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Bruce
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wells, Nikita
• Application Number:
  US09/527,192
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 250/492.21, 250/492.2, 250/492.1, 250/309, 250/441.11
• US Class Current: 250/492.21
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/30466 Detecting endpoint of process
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31703 Dosimetry
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3171 for ion implantation

Abstract

A substrate, such as a semiconductor chip or wafer, is implanted along with product wafers in an ion implant vacuum system. The substrate is then annealed in an annealing step that is accomplished while the substrate is within the vacuum system. The annealer is a rapid thermal annealer, such as a laser annealer or a flash lamp annealer. The annealing step does not affect the product wafers. Then a measurement is performed on the implanted and annealed substrate while it is within the vacuum system that can be suitably correlated with implant dose. The measurement can be with a technique such as a four point probe or with a tool that measures optical reflectivity from a surface of the implanted substrate. An additional implant can then be provided to product wafers if necessary to come closer to the desired dose.

Claims

1. An ion implant system, comprising a single vacuum chamber comprising a first station for implanting a dopant into a semiconductor substrate, and a second station comprising an annealer for activating said dopant, so that said dopant may be implanted and annealed without breaking vacuum.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said annealer is a rapid thermal annealer.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said rapid thermal annealer comprises a laser or a flash lamp.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said vacuum chamber further comprises a measuring system for measuring a parameter related to dose of dopant implanted.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said measuring system comprises a four point probe.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein said measuring system comprises a reflectance measurement apparatus.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said reflectance measurement apparatus comprises an infrared laser.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said reflectance measurement apparatus comprises a half silvered mirror.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said vacuum chamber comprises a rotatable disk.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said disk is rotatable to move a wafer to be measured from an annealer to a measuring system.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said vacuum chamber comprises a window for an annealing beam or for a measuring beam.