Method for generating a boron vapor
OwnerRichard L. Beckerinventor
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method of generating substantially pure boron ions for use as a plasma-process feed gas. An electrode substance material in the chamber is comprised of a mixture of boron atoms and metal atoms. The substance or compound is thermally decomposable within a suitable temperature range, to provide boron vapor and other species which are substantially not in the vapor state. A heating of the substance material induces the controlled thermal decomposition of the boron compound in a stoichiometrically favorable manner. Magnetic confinement of the simultaneously released electrons causes numerous collisions, resulting in ionization of the vapor, to the plasma state. This plasma may then be extracted and accelerated at a suitable energy toward a workpiece.
Claims24
A method of generating boron ions in a boron ion source apparatus, comprising the steps of:
- arranging a plasma generating chamber having an electrode arrangement in said source apparatus, for the generation of boron ions;
- fabricating a component of said plasma generating chamber from a boron compound which boron compound decomposes primarily by the emission of boron vapor;
- introducing a carrier gas into said plasma generating chamber;
- heating said electrode arrangement in said plasma generating chamber by ionizing said carrier gas therein, to induce said electrode arrangement to emit boron vapor;
- ionizing said boron vapor to create a boron ion plasma within said plasma generating chamber;
- accelerating said boron plasma towards a workpiece by activation of an electrical potential differential in said chamber.
A method of generating boron cluster ions in a boron cluster ion source apparatus, comprising the steps of:
- arranging a plasma generating chamber having an electrode arrangement in said source apparatus, for the generation of boron cluster ions;
- fabricating a component of said plasma generating chamber from a boron compound which boron compound decomposes primarily by the emission of boron cluster vapor and a boron atom vapor;
- introducing a carrier gas into said plasma generating chamber;
- heating said electrode arrangement in said plasma generating chamber by ionizing said carrier gas therein, to induce said electrode arrangement to emit boron cluster vapor;
- ionizing said boron cluster vapor to create a boron cluster ion plasma within said plasma generating chamber;
- accelerating said boron cluster ion plasma towards a workpiece by activation of an electrical potential differential in said chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.