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US 2022/0028707 A1Published application
Warm wafer after ion cryo-implantation
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsYu-Chang Lin, Tien-Shun Chang, Chun-Feng Nieh, Huicheng Chang, Yee-Chia Yeo
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Abstract
Embodiments of an ion cryo-implantation process utilize a post implantation heating stage to heat the implanted wafer while under the heavy vacuum used during cryo-implantation. The implanted wafer is then transferred to load locks which are held at a lesser vacuum than the heavy vacuum.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a first load lock, the first load lock configured to be maintained at a first pressure;
- a processing chamber comprising:
- a cooling stage, the cooling stage configured to cool a wafer to a first temperature prior to ion implantation, the first temperature corresponding to a cryogenic temperature,
- an implantation platen, the implantation platen configured to retain the wafer during an ion implantation process, and
- a heating stage, the heating stage configured to heat the wafer after implantation to a second temperature;
- and
- a second load lock, the second load lock configured to be maintained at the first pressure, wherein the processing chamber is configured to be maintained at a second pressure lower than the first pressure.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- retrieving a wafer from a first load lock;
- moving the wafer to a cooling stage;
- pre-cooling the wafer to an implantation temperature, the implantation temperature being between −100° C. and −30° C.;
- moving the wafer to an implantation platen;
- implanting ions into the wafer;
- moving the wafer to a heating stage;
- heating the wafer to a target temperature;
- and
- moving the wafer to a second load lock, wherein the first load lock and the second load lock are maintained at a first pressure, wherein the cooling stage, implantation platen, and heating stage, are maintained at a second pressure, wherein the second pressure is less than the first pressure.
6 more elements
A method comprising:
- implanting ions into a first wafer on an implantation platen, wherein the first wafer has an implantation temperature between −100° C. and −30° C. during implantation;
- heating the first wafer under a first vacuum on a heating stage to a target temperature between 20° C. and 50° C.;
- and
- transferring the first wafer to an outgoing load lock, wherein the outgoing load lock is under a second vacuum, wherein during transferring the first wafer is free of condensation, wherein a first pressure level of the first vacuum is 100 to 1000 times less than a second pressure level of the second vacuum.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.