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Axcelis ships first molecular implanter to Asian memory chipmaker |
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Nov 02, 2006 at 03:28 PM |
 Axcelis Technologies has shipped its first Optima HD Imax molecular ion implanter to ‘one of the world's largest memory chipmakers'. The equipment aims at dramatically increasing productivity and shortening low energy, high dose implant process times by implanting molecules rather than atoms.
The Optima HD Imax implants molecules of B18H22, which includes 18 boron atoms. Molecular implants can be carried out at higher energies reducing the ‘space charge' effect that limits the allowable implant current and hence productivity. The space charge effect describes how the repulsive charge of the low-energy beam blows it apart.
One aspect is the reduction in the charge per boron atom, which is reduced by a factor of 18 in the case of B18H22. Wafer charging and channelling effects (where previous boron impacts create easy routes into the silicon, reducing uniformity) are also reduced. Optima HD Imax also uses an ‘advanced' spot beam for improved implant uniformity and repeatability, while avoiding the risk of energy contamination associated with beam deceleration, it is claimed.
The company believes that its tool could enable chipmakers to adopt a number of emerging trends, including dual poly gate applications for advanced memory devices and shallower junctions in logic chips.
By Dr Mike Cooke
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