# US 12,112,915 B2 · Vaporizer, ion source and method for generating aluminum-containing vapor

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- Number: US 12,112,915 B2
- Document ID: US12112915B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/714,491
- Filed: 2022-04-06
- Published: 2023-10-12
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2022-04-06
- Assignees: Nissin Ion Equipment Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Nissin Ion Equipment Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Sami K. Hahto; George Sacco
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12112915B2

## CPC

- H01J 37/08: Ion sources; Ion guns
- C23C 14/48: Ion implantation
- H01J 37/3171: {for ion implantation}
- H01J 2237/006: Details of gas supplies, e.g. in an ion source, to a beam line, to a specimen or to a workpiece, (H01J37/3244 takes precedence; environmental cells for electron microscopes H01J2237/2003; microscopes with environmental specimen chamber H01J2237/2608)
- H01J 2237/0213: Avoiding deleterious effects due to interactions between particles and tube elements
- H01J 2237/082: Electron beam
- H01J 2237/31701: Ion implantation
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)

## Abstract

A vaporizer includes a crucible in which an aluminum-containing solid material is placed, and a heater. The crucible includes a chlorine containing gas inlet and a vapor outlet. The heater heats the crucible.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vaporizer comprising:
a crucible in which an aluminum-containing solid material is placed, the crucible comprising a chlorine containing gas inlet and a vapor outlet; and
a heater configured to heat the crucible.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vaporizer as recited in claim 1, wherein the aluminum-containing solid material is pure aluminum.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vaporizer as recited in claim 1, wherein the vapor outlet outputs a vapor in a plurality of directions.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vaporizer as recited in claim 1, wherein an edge of the chlorine containing gas inlet is aligned with a surface of the aluminum-containing solid material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

An ion source comprising:
the vaporizer according to claim 1;
an arc chamber configured to generate a plasma therein,
wherein the vapor outlet of the vaporizer is configured to output vapor into the arc chamber through a wall of the arc chamber.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The ion source as recited in claim 5, wherein the aluminum-containing solid material is pure aluminum.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The ion source as recited in claim 5, wherein the vapor outlet comprises an end portion that extends through the wall of the arc chamber, the end portion comprising a plurality of holes at a distal end thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The ion source as recited in claim 5, wherein an edge of the chlorine containing gas inlet is aligned with a surface of the aluminum-containing solid material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The ion source as recited in claim 5, wherein the crucible is biased to the arc chamber by an elastic force.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The ion source as recited in claim 5, wherein the arc chamber receives aluminum containing vapor output from the vapor outlet of the crucible and receives a gas that does not contain aluminum from a flow path that does not pass through the crucible.

### Claim 11

A method for generating aluminum containing vapor, the method comprising:
heating an aluminum containing solid material in a crucible; and
introducing a chlorine containing gas into the crucible.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The vaporizer as recited in claim 1, wherein the crucible is cylindrical and extends in a longitudinal direction,
the chlorine containing gas inlet is provided at a first end of the crucible in the longitudinal direction, and
the vapor outlet is provided at a second end of the crucible opposite from the first end in the longitudinal direction.

### Claim 13

A vaporizer comprising:
a first gas source comprising a chlorine containing gas;
a crucible containing an aluminum-containing solid material, the crucible comprising a gas inlet communicatively connected to the first gas source, and a vapor outlet; and
a heater configured to heat the crucible.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The vaporizer as recited in claim 13, wherein the aluminum-containing solid material is pure aluminum.

### Claim 15

An ion source comprising:
a first gas source comprising a first gas that contains chlorine;
a vaporizer comprising:
a crucible containing an aluminum-containing solid material, the crucible comprising a gas inlet communicatively connected to the first gas source, and a vapor outlet; and
a heater configured to heat the crucible;
an arc chamber configured to generate a plasma therein,
wherein the vapor outlet of the vaporizer is configured to output vapor into the arc chamber through a wall of the arc chamber.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The ion source as recited in claim 15, further comprising:
a second gas source comprising a second gas that does not contain aluminum,
wherein the arc chamber comprises a gas inlet communicatively connected to the second gas source, and
wherein a flow path from the second gas source to the gas inlet of the arc chamber does not pass through the crucible.

### Claim 17

An ion source comprising:
a vaporizer comprising:
a crucible containing an aluminum-containing solid material, the crucible comprising a gas inlet at a first end of the crucible, and a vapor outlet at a second end of the crucible opposite from the first end; and
a heater configured to heat the crucible; and
an arc chamber in fluid communication with the vapor output, the arc chamber configured to generate a plasma using a vapor that is output from the vapor outlet,
wherein the crucible receives a chlorine containing gas through the gas inlet and the chlorine containing gas reacts with the aluminum-containing solid material under heat from the heater to produce the vapor, which is output to the arc chamber through the vapor outlet.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The ion source of claim 17, further comprising a first gas source in fluid communication with the gas inlet, the first gas source containing the chlorine containing gas.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The ion source as recited in claim 17, wherein the arc chamber comprises a gas inlet, and
wherein a flow path to the gas inlet of the arc chamber of a second gas that does not contain aluminum does not pass through the crucible.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The ion source as recited in claim 19, further comprising:
a second gas source comprising the second gas that does not contain aluminum, the second gas source being in fluid communication with the gas inlet of the arc chamber,
wherein the flow path from the second gas source to the gas inlet does not pass through the crucible.