Method and apparatus for extending equipment uptime in ion implantation

An ion generating system for generating an ion beam comprising:

• a vaporizer of solid feed material for producing vapor of the material, an ion source and extraction electrode within a vacuum housing, and a reactive gas cleaning system, the ion source comprising
• an ionization chamber connected to a high voltage power supply and having an inlet for vapor of the material from the vaporizer, an energizeable ionizing system for ionizing the vapor within the ionization chamber and an extraction aperture that communicates with the vacuum housing, the vacuum housing evacuated by a vacuum pumping system,
• the extraction electrode disposed in the vacuum housing outside of the ionization chamber, aligned with the extraction aperture of the ionization chamber and adapted to be maintained at a voltage below that of the ionization chamber to extract ions through the aperture from within the ionization chamber to form the ion beam,
• surfaces of the ion generating system being susceptible to accumulating deposits of feed material or related contaminant during operation of the ion source,
• and the reactive gas cleaning system operable when the ion source is de-energized to provide a flow of reactive gas into and through the ionization chamber and through the ion extraction aperture to react with and remove the deposits on at least some of the surfaces of the ion generating system in which the reactive gas cleaning system comprises a supplement reactive gas generator capable of disassociating a gaseous feed compound to provide reactive gas, the generator operable when the ion source is de-energized to provide a flow of reactive gas into and through the ionization chamber and through the ion extraction aperture to react with and remove the deposits on at least some of the surfaces of the ion generating system.

An ion generating system for generating a ion beam comprising:

• a source of feed material in gaseous or vaporized form, an ion source and an extraction electrode within a vacuum housing, and a reactive gas cleaning system, the ion source comprising:
• an ionization chamber connected to a high voltage power supply and having an inlet for gaseous or vaporized feed material,
• an energizeable ionizing system for ionizing the gaseous or vaporized feed material with the ionization chamber,
• and an extraction aperture that communicates with the vacuum housing, the vacuum housing evacuated by a vacuum pumping system,
• the extraction electrode disposed in the vacuum housing outside of the ionization chamber, aligned with the extraction aperture of the ionization chamber, and adapted to be maintained at a voltage below that of the ionization chamber to extract ions through the aperture from within the ionization chamber to form the ion beam,
• surfaces of the ion generating system being susceptible to accumulating deposits of feed material or related con during operation of the ion source, and
• the reactive gas cleaning system comprising a supplemental reactive cleaning gas generator capable of disassociating a gaseous feed compound to provide reactive gas, the generator operable when the ion source is de-energized to provide a flow of reactive gas into and through the ionization chamber and through the ion extraction aperture to react with and remove the deposits on at least some of the surfaces of the ion generating system.

An ion generating system for generating a ion beam comprising:

• a source of feed material in gaseous or vaporized form, an ion source and an extraction electrode within a vacuum housing, and a reactive gas cleaning system, the ion source comprising:
• an ionization chamber connected to a high voltage power supply and having an inlet for gaseous or vaporized feed material,
• an energizeable ionizing system for ionizing the gaseous or vaporized feed material with the ionization chamber,
• and an extraction aperture that communicates with the vacuum housing, the vacuum housing evacuated by a vacuum pumping system,
• the extraction electrode disposed in the vacuum housing outside of the ionization chamber, aligned with the extraction aperture of the ionization chamber, and adapted to be maintained at a voltage below that of the ionization chamber to extract ions through the aperture from within the ionization chamber to form the ion beam,
• surfaces of the ion generating system being susceptible to accumulating deposits of feed material or related con during operation of the ion source, and
• the reactive gas cleaning system comprising a supplemental reactive cleaning gas generator capable of disassociating a gaseous feed compound to provide reactive gas, the generator operable when the ion source is de-energized to provide a flow of reactive gas into and through the ionization chamber and through the ion extraction aperture to react with and remove the deposits on at least some of the surfaces of the ion generating system, the system constructed to produce the reactive cleaning gas flow by a generator that comprises a supplemental plasma chamber, the supplemental plasma chamber arranged to receive a gaseous feed compound capable of being disassociated by plasma within the plasma chamber to produce the flow of reactive cleaning gas through an outlet, and a conduit for transporting the reactive gas from the supplemental plasma chamber to the ionization chamber.