# US 2014/0151572 A1 · Gas mixture method and apparatus for generating ion beam

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- Number: US 2014/0151572 A1
- Document ID: US20140151572A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/692,461
- Filed: 2012-12-03
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-03
- Assignees: Advanced Ion Beam Technology, Inc.
- Applicants: Advanced Ion Beam Technology, Inc.
- Inventors: Wei-Cheng LIN; Zhimin WAN; Koulin HU
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151572A1

## CPC

- H01J 27/022: {Details}
- H01J 37/08: Ion sources; Ion guns
- 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 2237/082: Electron beam
- Y10T 137/0329: Mixing of plural fluids of diverse characteristics or conditions
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A gas mixture method and apparatus of prolonging lifetime of an ion source for generating an ion beam particularly an ion beam containing carbon is proposed here. By mixing the dopant gas and the minor gas together to generate an ion beam, undesired reaction between the gas species and the ion source can be mitigated and thus lifetime of the ion source can be prolonged. Accordingly, quality of ion beam can be maintained.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A gas mixture method of prolonging lifetime of an ion source for generating an ion beam comprising:
supplying a dopant gas into a container, wherein the dopant gas is a carbon-containing gas used for generating carbon-containing ions; and
supplying a minor gas into the container to dilute the dopant gas for prolonging lifetime of the ion source, wherein the minor gas can be H2, CF4, Xe, Kr, Ar, PH3, AsH3, CH4 or any combination thereof; and
providing a gas mixture in the ion source chamber to generate the ion beam after mixing the dopant gas and the minor gas at a mixture ratio in the container, wherein the mixture ratio is volume ratio.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The gas mixture method according to claim 1, wherein the container is a gas bottle and the dopant gas and minor gas are already pre-mixed at the fixed mixture ratio in the gas bottle.

### Claim 3

(canceled)

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The gas mixture method according to claim 1, wherein the dopant gas can be CO, CO2, CH4, CF4, C2H2O4 or any combination thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The gas mixture method according to claim 1, wherein the gas mixture comprises CO2, CO and H2.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The gas mixture method according to claim 5, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CO and H2 is 10:A:X, wherein A ranges from 0.1 to 2 and X ranges from 1 to 6.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The gas mixture method according to claim 5, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CO and H2 is 10:0.5:3.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The gas mixture method according to claim 1, wherein the gas mixture comprises CO2, CO, H2 and Xe.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The gas mixture method according to claim 8, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CO, H2 and Xe is 10:A:X:Y, wherein A ranges from 0.1 to 2, X ranges from 1 to 6 and Y ranges from 0.3 to 1.2.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The gas mixture method according to claim 8, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CO, H2 and Xe is 10:0.5:3:0.6.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The gas mixture method according to claim 1, wherein the gas mixture comprises CO2, CO, H2 and Kr.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The gas mixture method according to claim 11, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CO, H2 and Kr is 10:A:X:Y, wherein A ranges from 0.1 to 2, X ranges from 1 to 6 and Y ranges from 0.5 to 2.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The gas mixture method according to claim 11, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CO, H2 and Kr is 10:0.5:3:1.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The gas mixture method according to claim 1, wherein the gas mixture comprises CO2, CO, H2 and Ar.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The gas mixture method according to claim 14, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CO, H2 and Ar is 10:A:X:Y, wherein A ranges from 0.1 to 2, X ranges from 1 to 6 and Y ranges from 1 to 4.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The gas mixture method according to claim 14, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CO, H2 and Ar is 10:0.5:3:2.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The gas mixture method according to claim 1, wherein the gas mixture comprises CO2, CF4 and H2.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The gas mixture method according to claim 17, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CF4 and H2 is 10:A:X, wherein A ranges from 0.1 to 2 and X ranges from 1 to 6.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The gas mixture method according to claim 17, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CF4 and H2 is 10:0.5:3.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The gas mixture method according to claim 1, wherein the gas mixture comprises CO2, CF4, H2 and Xe.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The gas mixture method according to claim 20, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CF4, H2 and Xe is 10:A:X:Y, wherein A ranges from 0.1 to 2, X ranges from 1 to 6 and Y ranges from 0.3 to 1.2.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The gas mixture method according to claim 20, wherein mixture ratio of CO2, CF4, H2 and Xe is 10:0.5:3:0.3.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The gas mixture method according to claim 1, wherein the gas mixture comprises CO2, CF4, H2 and Kr.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The gas mixture method according to claim 23, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CF4, H2 and Kr is 10:A:X:Y, wherein A ranges from 0.1 to 2, X ranges from 1 to 6 and Y ranges from 0.5 to 2.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The gas mixture method according to claim 23, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CF4, H2 and Kr is 10:0.5:3:1.

### Claim 26 (depends on 1)

The gas mixture method according to claim 1, wherein the gas mixture comprises CO2, CF4, H2 and Ar.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The gas mixture method according to claim 26, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CF4, H2 and Ar is 10:A:X:Y, wherein A ranges from 0.1 to 2, X ranges from 1 to 6 and Y ranges from 1 to 4.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The gas mixture method according to claim 26, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CF4, H2 and Ar is 10:0.5:3:2.

### Claim 29 (depends on 1)

The gas mixture method according to claim 1, wherein the gas mixture comprises CO2, CO, H2, and CF4.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The gas mixture method according to claim 29, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CO, H2 and CF4 is 10:A:X:Y, wherein A ranges from 0.5 to 5, X ranges from 1 to 6 and Y ranges from 0.05 to 1.

### Claim 31 (depends on 29)

The gas mixture method according to claim 29, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CO, H2 and CF4 and is 10:1:3:0.1.

### Claim 32 (depends on 1)

The gas mixture method according to claim 1, wherein the gas mixture comprises CO2, CO, H2 CF4 and Xe.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The gas mixture method according to claim 32, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CO, H2, CF4 and Xe is 10:A:X:Y:Z, wherein A ranges from 0.5 to 5, X ranges from 1 to 6 and Y ranges from 0.05 to 1 and Z ranges from 0.3 to 1.2.

### Claim 34 (depends on 32)

The gas mixture method according to claim 32, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CO, H2, CF4 and Xe is 10:1:3:0.1:0.6.

### Claim 35 (depends on 1)

The gas mixture method according to claim 1, wherein the gas mixture comprises CO2, CO, H2 CF4 and Kr.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

The gas mixture method according to claim 35, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CO, H2, CF4 and Kr is 10:A:X:Y:Z, wherein A ranges from 0.5 to 5, X ranges from 1 to 6 and Y ranges from 0.05 to 1 and Z ranges from 0.5 to 2.

### Claim 37 (depends on 35)

The gas mixture method according to claim 35, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CO, H2, CF4 and Kr is 10:1:3:0.1:1.

### Claim 38 (depends on 1)

The gas mixture method according to claim 1, wherein the gas mixture comprises CO2, CO, H2 CF4 and Ar.

### Claim 39 (depends on 38)

The gas mixture method according to claim 38, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CO, H2, CF4 and Ar is 10:A:X:Y:Z, wherein A ranges from 0.5 to 5, X ranges from 1 to 6 and Y ranges from 0.05 to 1 and Z ranges from 1 to 4.

### Claim 40 (depends on 38)

The gas mixture method according to claim 38, wherein the mixture ratio of CO2, CO, H2, CF4 and Ar is 10:1:3:0.1:2.

### Claim 41

A gas mixture apparatus of prolonging lifetime of an ion source for generating an ion beam comprising:
an ion source chamber having an anode and a cathode;
a dopant gas, wherein the dopant gas is a carbon-containing gas used for generating carbon-containing ions in the ion source chamber; and
a minor gas to dilute the dopant gas in the ion source chamber at a mixture ratio for prolonging lifetime of the ion source, wherein the minor gas can be H2, CF4, Xe, Kr, Ar, PH3, AsH3, CH4 or any combination thereof and the mixture ratio is volume ratio.

### Claim 42 (depends on 41)

The gas mixture apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the dopant gas can be CO, CO2, CH4, CF4, C2H2O4 or any combination thereof.

### Claim 43 (depends on 41)

The gas mixture apparatus according to claim 41 further comprising:
a container, wherein the dopant gas and the minor gas are pre-mixed in the container at the mixture ratio before entering the ion source chamber.

### Claim 44 (depends on 43)

The gas mixture apparatus according to claim 43, the container contains three or more species of gases.