Plasma immersion ion implantation for semiconductor processing

Abstract

Summary form only given, as follows. The plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) technique shows great promise for large-area and high dose-rate processing of electronic materials. The PIII technique is also compatible with the current trend of using cluster tools in semiconductor processing. Because of the immersion nature of the process, the implantation time to achieve the same dose will be independent of the implantation area and this is a big advantage over the raster method used in conventional beamline ion implanters. This paper will review the current understanding of PIII plasma dynamics and reactor designs. Examples such as plasma doping for ultra-shallow junctions and high aspect ratio Si trenches, selective plating of metals, damage induced impurities gettering, subsurface material synthesis of silicon-on-insulator, and microcavity engineering will be used to illustrate the unique applications of PIII for electronic materials modification. We will also discuss the processing requirements and limitations of PIII: concomitant implantation and sputtering, oxide charging, and substrate heating.