Increasing bushing temperature via a heating tube for performance enhancement of ion implanters

Abstract

This study aims to enhance the performance of an ion implanter by improving temperature control through a heating tube integrated within the bushing. In an ion implanter, gases such as PH<inf>3</inf>, AsH<inf>3</inf>, BF<inf>3</inf>, and GeF<inf>4</inf> are ionized by applying high voltages of up to 80 kV. Consequently, an ion beam is extracted from the electrode. However, residual gases are deposited inside the bushing under relatively low operating temperatures. Consequently, a leakage current flows through the bushing due to the deposited residual gas layer. This results in arcing from the potential differences across the bushing. To address this issue, this study designs and implements a heating tube within the bushing and circulates a heating fluid via the tube to increase the bushing's temperature. The proposed heating system prevents gas deposition and enhances the efficiency of the deposition process. The optimal condition—defined as achieving a bushing wall temperature of 60°C with minimal energy input—was determined as a FC-3283 flow rate of 24 LPM with an inlet temperature of 100°C. The effectiveness of this solution is evaluated through a combination of experiments and computational fluid dynamics simulations. The experimental results corroborate the simulation outcomes. This integrated experimental–simulation approach is expected to significantly enhance deposition process efficiency. These findings offer valuable insights for optimizing ion implantation performance and reducing the frequency of bushing replacements