Method and apparatus for in situ removal of contaminants from ion beam neutralization and implantation apparatuses

A method of cleaning contaminant material adhered to interior surfaces of an ion beam neutralization apparatus comprising the steps of

• feeding a reactive gas to a neutralization apparatus having at least two components that are electrically isolated from each other,
• applying a negative electrical bias to at least one of said components,
• grounding at least one of said components that does not have the negative bias applied thereto,
• creating a plasma glow discharge in the neutralization apparatus to remove contaminant material from said components, and
• removing the contaminant material from the neutralization apparatus.

A method of cleaning contaminant material adhered to interior surfaces of an ion beam neutralization apparatus comprising the steps of

• feeding a reactive gas to a neutralization apparatus including a hollow body connected to support structure of an ion beam implantation system, electron emitting means for emitting high energy electrons to an inner wall of said body to produce low energy secondary electrons or for extracting low energy electrons from a plasma in the interior of said body, a first aperture defining member connected to said body and electrically isolated therefrom, a second aperture defining member connected to said first aperture defining member and electrically isolated therefrom, and an elongated hollow member connected to said body and electrically isolated therefrom,
• applying a negative electrical bias to at least one component selected from the group consisting of said body, said first aperture defining member, said second aperture defining member, and said elongated member,
• grounding at least one of said components that does not have the negative bias applied thereto,
• creating a plasma glow discharge in the neutralization apparatus causing the reactive gas to react with contaminant material adhered to said component having the negative bias applied thereto to produce a gaseous reaction product of the contaminant material, and
• removing the reaction product from the neutralization apparatus.

A method of cleaning contaminant material adhering to an ion implantation apparatus that normally intercepts a path of an ion beam in an ion beam implantation system, said method comprising the steps of

• feeding a reactive gas to an ion implantation apparatus including a housing having walls that define an ion implantation chamber in which a rotatable support for wafers is disposed,
• providing a positive electrical bias to an electrode member connected to and electrically isolated from said walls,
• creating a plasma glow discharge in said implantation chamber to remove contaminant material adhered to said chamber wall and said support, and
• removing the contaminant material from the implantation chamber.

A method of cleaning contaminant material adhering to an ion implantation apparatus that normally intercepts a path of an ion beam in an ion beam implantation system, said method comprising the steps of

• feeding a reactive gas to an ion implantation apparatus including a housing having walls that define an ion implantation chamber in which a rotatable support for wafers is disposed,
• applying a negative electrical bias to either said chamber wall or said support,
• grounding the one of said chamber wall and said support that does not have the applied negative bias,
• creating a plasma glow discharge in said implantation chamber to remove contaminant material adhered to the one of said chamber wall and said support that has said applied negative bias, and
• removing the contaminant material from the implantation chamber.