Hydrogenated isotopically enriched boront trifluoride dopant source gas composition

A hydrogenated isotopically enriched boron trifluoride (BF3) dopant source gas composition, said composition consisting of (i) boron trifluoride isotopically enriched above 99% in boron of atomic mass 11 (11B), and (ii) hydrogen in an amount of 5 vol. %, based on total volume of boron trifluoride and hydrogen in said composition.

A method of operating an ion implantation system, comprising co-flowing (a) 11B-isotopically enriched boron trifluoride from a first gas supply package, and (b) hydrogen gas from a second gas supply package, to an ion source chamber of the ion implantation system, at relative rates of the boron trifluoride and hydrogen gases to constitute a dopant source gas composition in the ion source chamber consisting of (i) boron trifluoride isotopically enriched above natural abundance in boron of atomic mass 11 (11B), and (ii) hydrogen in an amount of from 4 to 6.5 vol. %, based on total volume of boron trifluoride and hydrogen in such composition.

A method comprising introducing a boron dopant source gas composition to an ion source chamber of the boron doping ion implantation system, operating the boron doping ion implantation system to ionize the boron dopant source gas composition in the ion source chamber and generate a beam of boron dopant species that is directed to a substrate in the ion implantation system for boron doping of the substrate therein with the boron dopant species, wherein the dopant source gas composition consists of (i) boron trifluoride isotopically enriched above natural abundance in boron of atomic mass 11 (11B), and (ii) hydrogen in an amount of from 4 to 6.5 vol. %, based on the total volume of boron trifluoride and hydrogen in the composition, wherein a weight change of the cathode during said operating, in relation to other hydrogen concentrations is minimized and beam stability and ion source life is enhanced.