Ion generating source for use in an ion implanter

An ion generating source for use in an ion implantation system, said ion generating source comprising:

• a) a gas confinement chamber having conductive chamber walls that bound a gas ionization zone and defines an exit opening to allow ions to exit the gas confinement chamber;
• b) a base for positioning said gas confinement chamber relative to structure for forming an ion beam from ions exiting said gas confinement chamber;
• c) a supply in communication with said gas confinement chamber for delivering an ionizable material into the gas confinement chamber;
• d) a cathode supported by said base and positioned with respect to said gas confinement chamber to emit ionizing electrons into the gas ionization zone, said cathode comprising a tubular conductive body that partially extends into said gas confinement chamber interior and includes a conductive cap at one end that faces into the gas confinement chamber for emitting ionizing electrons into the gas confinement chamber and has an open end spaced from the conductive cap;
• e) a filament supported by said base that extends into the open end of the tubular conductive body of said cathode for heating the conductive cap to cause the ionizing electrons to be emitted from the conductive cap into said gas confinement chamber;
• and
• f) a first mounting arm connected to said base for supporting said cathode in a spaced relation to the chamber walls of said gas confinement chamber, said first mounting arm separated from said base by at least one insulator;
• g) mounting structure electrically isolated from the first mounting arm that extends into the open end of said tubular conductive body to support the filament is spaced relation to the conductive cap of said cathode:
• h) said gas confinement chamber comprising a chamber wall having an access opening sized to allow said tubular conductive body of said cathode to extend into the access opening and position the conductive cap within the gas ionization zone while maintaining a gap between an outer surface of the tubular conductive body and a surface of the chamber body defining the access opening.

A method of generating an ion beam for treating a workpiece, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing an ionization chamber that includes an exit opening to allow ions within the ionization chamber interior to exit the chamber to form an ion beam and further has an access opening which opens into an ionization chamber interior;
• b) supporting the ionization chamber on a base in relation to beam forming apparatus for directing ions exiting the ionization chamber to a target;
• c) supporting a cathode cup having a conductive end cap for emitting electrons into the ionization chamber by inserting the cathode cup through the access opening in a wall of the ionization chamber while maintaining an outer surface of the cathode cup spaced from walls of the ionization chamber that surround the access opening;
• d) inserting a filament having an electron emitting portion into an open end of the cathode cup and fixing the filament in spaced relation with the end cap;
• e) routing an ionizing material into the ionization chamber;
• f) energizing the filament to cause electrons to be emitted;
• g) relatively biasing the cathode cup and the filament to cause electrons emitted from the filament to bombard the end cap and induce secondary electron emissions from the end cap into the interior of the ionization chamber to ionize the material routed into the ionization chamber;
• and
• h) electrically insulating the filament, the cathode cup and ionization chamber from each other by mounting the cathode to a mounting plate spaced from the base by one or more insulators and mounting the filament to a pair of arms spaced from the mounting plate by insulators.

An improved ion implanter including an ion source for generating a beam of ions, an ion beam analyzing magnet for directing ions in a predetermined direction towards an ion implantation chamber having a target support, the ion source including a gas confinement chamber having conductive chamber walls that bound a gas ionization zone and including an exit aperture to allow ions to exit the gas confinement chamber, a base for positioning the gas confinement chamber relative to structure for forming an ion beam from ions exiting the gas confinement chamber, a gas supply in communication with the gas confinement chamber for conducting an ionizable gas into the gas confinement chamber, wherein the improvement comprises:

• one wall of the chamber including an access opening through said one wall and a cathode supported by the base and positioned within the access opening to emit ionizing electrons into the gas ionization zone, said cathode comprising a tubular conductive body that is open at one end and includes a conductive cap that extends into the gas confinement chamber for emitting ionizing electrons into the gas confinement chamber;
• a filament supported by said base at a position inside the tubular conductive body of said cathode for heating said conductive cap and causing the ionizing electrons to be emitted from the cap into said gas confinement chamber;
• a mounting plate connected to said base supporting said cathode in a spaced relation to the conductive chamber walls of said gas confinement chamber;
• at least one insulator for electrically isolating the mounting plate from the base;
• and
• first and second electrically conductive mounting arms coupled to and electrically isolated from mounting plate that extend into the open end of said tubular conductive body for supporting the filament in spaced relation to the tubular conductive body of the cathode and transmitting energizing signals from a power source to opposite ends of the filament.

A three piece cathode for an ion generating source, said cathode comprising:

• a) an outer tubular member of the cathode made from a molybdenum alloy material having a flange on its lower end that abuts a mounting plate;
• b) an inner tubular member of the cathode made from a molybdenum alloy material having a threaded lower end portion and a shoulder intermediate axial ends of the inner tubular member wherein the shoulder engages an upper surface of the flange of the outer tubular member to maintain the flange against a mounting plate when the threaded end portion of the inner tubular member is threaded into a threaded opening in the mounting plate;
• and
• c) a conductive cap made from a tungsten material that fits within a counterbore of an end of the tubular members that is frictionally held in place during operation of the ion generating source;
• and
• d) a filament extendable into an open end of one of said tubular members axially opposite said cap for heating said cap to a temperature at which said cap emits electrons, said filament being replaceable and electrically insulated from said tubular members and conductive cap.