JP7850376B2 - Ion source and ion implanter - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an ion source and an ion implantation apparatus equipped with the ion source.

As an ion source used in ion implantation equipment used in flat panel display manufacturing processes and semiconductor manufacturing processes, there is an ion source shown in Patent Document 1. This ion source has a plasma generation chamber where plasma is generated, and a first flange and a second flange that house an extraction electrode system consisting of three or four electrodes for extracting an ion beam from the plasma generation chamber.

The first flange is fixed to the plasma generation chamber, electrically insulated from the chamber. Inside the first flange are two electrodes, an accelerating electrode and an extraction electrode, and an electrode support frame that supports these electrodes. The second flange is fixed to the first flange, electrically insulated from the first flange. Inside the second flange are two electrodes, an inhibitory electrode and a ground electrode, and an electrode support frame that supports these electrodes.

Inside the plasma generation chamber, a filament is positioned to supply electrons to the internal space of the chamber, inserted from the outside. The plasma generation chamber is also configured to introduce a raw material gas, which serves as the raw material for generating a plasma containing predetermined ions, from the outside through a gas port. Within the internal space of the plasma generation chamber, the raw material gas is ionized by thermionic electrons emitted from the filament, generating a plasma containing the predetermined ions. The ions contained in the plasma are then drawn out as an ion beam from the ion source by the action of electrodes housed in the first and second flanges.

The plasma generation unit is connected to an externally located power supply and is configured to apply a predetermined potential relative to the ground potential. The first and second flanges are also connected to externally located power supplies and are configured to apply predetermined potentials relative to the ground potential.

In such ion sources, as the ion source is used, insulating products generated within the plasma generation section may accumulate on the electrodes or electrode support frames, becoming charged and resulting in abnormal discharge. In such cases, a surge current may instantaneously flow into the power supply, potentially causing malfunctions such as power supply failure.

In such ion sources, to suppress problems like those described above that can occur due to surge currents, surge protection components such as ceramic capacitors and surge absorbers may be electrically connected between the plasma generation vessel and the first flange to protect the circuit from surge currents.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-91795

In conventional ion sources, after the operator fixed the plasma generation chamber to the first flange and the second flange, they electrically connected the plasma generation chamber, the first flange, and the surge protection component using wiring materials such as electric wires.

Furthermore, during maintenance, the plasma generation vessel may need to be detached from the first flange. Even in such cases, before removing the plasma generation vessel from the first flange, the operator had to manually remove the wiring components. After the maintenance, the operator had to reattach the wiring components after securing the plasma generation vessel to the first flange. Thus, in conventional ion sources, electrical connection between the plasma generation chamber and surge protection components was required during assembly and maintenance, which reduced the efficiency of these operations.

This invention aims to solve the above problems and provide an ion source and ion implanter that can shorten the working time in assembly or maintenance operations of the ion source compared to conventional methods.

The ion source of the present invention comprises a first housing having a first internal space in which plasma is generated, and a second housing having a second internal space for housing electrodes for extracting an ion beam from the plasma, wherein the first housing and the second housing are fixed together while communicating the first and second internal spaces, and are electrically insulated from each other. The ion source further comprises a fixing device disposed in the second housing for fixing the first housing to the second housing, and surge protection components disposed in the first housing or the second housing, wherein as the fixing device fixes the first housing to the second housing, the first housing and the second housing become electrically connected via at least a part of the fixing device and the surge protection components.

In this configuration, the first and second housings are fixed together while electrically insulated from each other, a fixing device is placed in the second housing, and surge protection components are placed in either the first or second housing. As the fixing device fixes the first housing to the second housing, the first and second housings become electrically connected via at least a part of the fixing device and the surge protection components. In other words, when the ion source is in the above-described connection state, the first and second housings are electrically connected via the surge protection components.
In other words, with this configuration, after fixing the first and second housings together, there is no need to electrically connect the first housing to the surge protection component.
In this invention, the fact that the first housing and the second housing are fixed in an electrically insulated state means that the first housing and the second housing are not electrically connected without surge protection components, and may be interpreted as meaning that the first housing and the second housing are fixed to each other while maintaining a predetermined potential difference.

Furthermore, the fixing device may be configured such that when the fixing of the first housing to the second housing is released, the electrical connection between the first housing and the second housing, via at least a part of the fixing device and surge protection components, is released.
In this configuration, when the fixing device releases the first and second housings, the electrical connection between the first housing and the surge protection component is also released. Therefore, the work of disconnecting the electrical connection between the first housing and the surge protection component becomes unnecessary.

Furthermore, the ion source of the present invention includes a fixing member that acts on the first housing to fix the first housing to the second housing,
The system may include a drive mechanism that is driven by remote control and moves the fixing member from a detached position where the first housing is separated from the second housing to a fixed position where the first housing is fixed to the second housing, and the system may be configured such that the connection state is achieved when the fixing member is in the fixed position.

With this configuration, the drive mechanism can be driven by a remote operator, moving the fixing member from the detached position to the fixed position. This allows the first housing to be fixed to the second housing, while simultaneously enabling the ion source to be connected as described above. Note that "the fixing member acting on the first housing" refers to the fixing member applying some force to the first housing.

The drive mechanism may further be configured to move the fixing member from the fixed position to the detached position. With this configuration, an operator can remotely operate the drive mechanism to move the fixing member from the fixed position to the detached position, thereby releasing the fixing of the first and second housings and simultaneously bringing the ion source into the detached state.

Furthermore, the ion source of the present invention may be configured such that the fixed member is connected to the drive mechanism while being electrically insulated from the drive mechanism, and includes a conductive part that is directly or indirectly electrically connected to the first housing when the fixed member is in the fixed position.

Furthermore, the ion source of the present invention may be configured such that the first housing has a contacted portion that comes into contact with the conductive portion when the fixed member is in the fixed position, and when the fixed member is in the fixed position, the conductive portion comes into contact with the contacted portion while a pressing force is applied from the drive mechanism toward the first housing.

With this configuration, when the fixing member is in its fixed position, the conductive part of the fixing member contacts the contacted part of the first housing while a pressing force is applied from the drive mechanism toward the first housing. This ensures more reliable contact between the conductor and the contacted part. Therefore, the first housing and the conductive part can be electrically connected more reliably.

Furthermore, the ion source of the present invention may be configured such that the fixing device is placed in the second housing in a state where it is electrically insulated from the second housing, and the fixing device is electrically connected to the second housing either directly or via the surge protection component.
Furthermore, the statement that the fixing device is directly electrically connected to the second enclosure means that the fixing device is connected without the use of surge protection components.

Furthermore, the ion source of the present invention may be configured such that the first housing has an elongated main body portion forming the first internal space, and the plurality of fixing devices and the plurality of surge protection components are arranged in the second housing along the longitudinal direction of the main body portion when the first housing is fixed to the second housing, and are mounted to the ion source mounting portion of the ion implanter with the longitudinal direction aligned with the vertical direction.

Generally, an ion source having a long main body with an internal space for plasma generation is mounted to the ion source mounting section of an ion implanter with the longitudinal direction of the main body aligned with the vertical direction. In such an ion source, if multiple surge protection components are arranged along the longitudinal direction, conventionally, during maintenance work, the worker had to sequentially connect the vertically aligned surge protection components to the first housing using wiring materials such as electric wires. Furthermore, as the ion source became larger, this work had to be performed at a higher position, further reducing workability and efficiency.
In contrast, this configuration eliminates the need for the conventional work of electrically connecting surge protection components to the first housing during maintenance work. In other words, even when the ion source is attached to the ion source mounting section of the ion implanter with the longitudinal direction of the main body aligned with the vertical direction, the work time for this operation is reduced.

Furthermore, if the fixing device is configured to enter the above-mentioned released state when the fixing of the first housing to the second housing is released, then the operation of disconnecting the electrical connection between the first housing and the surge protection component, which was conventionally required when detaching the first housing from the second housing, becomes unnecessary.

Furthermore, the ion implantation apparatus of the present invention comprises a first housing having a first internal space in which plasma is generated, and a second housing having a second internal space for housing electrodes for extracting an ion beam from the plasma, wherein the first housing and the second housing are fixed together while connecting the first and second internal spaces, and the ion implantation apparatus comprises an ion source that is electrically insulated from each other, wherein the ion source is further provided with a fixing device arranged in the second housing and detachably fixing the first housing to the second housing, and surge protection components arranged in the first housing or the second housing, wherein as the fixing device fixes the first housing to the second housing, the first housing and the second housing are connected electrically via at least a part of the fixing device and the surge protection components.

According to the present invention, the working time for assembly or maintenance of ion sources can be reduced compared to conventional methods.

A schematic diagram showing a first ion source and ion implantation apparatus in a first embodiment of the present invention. A perspective view showing the first ion source in the same embodiment. A cross-sectional view of the first ion source in the same embodiment, taken along the line X-X in Figure 2. A side view of the first fixing device showing the first fixing member in the detached position in the same embodiment. A side view of the first fixing device showing the first fixing member in an intermediate position in the same embodiment. A side view of the first fixing device showing the first fixing member in a fixed position in the same embodiment. A perspective view showing the first housing of the first ion source in the same embodiment detached from the second housing. A side view showing a second fixing device, which is a first modified example of the first fixing device in the same embodiment. A side view showing a third fixing device, which is a second modified example of the first fixing device in the same embodiment. A side view showing a part of the ion source in the second embodiment of the present invention.

The first ion source 10A and the ion implantation apparatus 1 equipped with the first ion source 10A in the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that Figures 1 to 8 have been prepared for the purpose of understanding the present invention, and the ratios of the lengths and scales of the components in each figure are not necessarily consistent.

First, the configuration of the first ion source 10A and the ion implanter 1 will be described.
Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the first ion source 10A and the ion implantation apparatus 1 equipped with the first ion source 10A in this embodiment.
The ion implantation apparatus 1 of this embodiment is used in the manufacturing process of flat panel displays and is used to implant desired ions into a substrate S. In this embodiment, the substrate S is a rectangular glass substrate, but the shape and material of the substrate S are not limited to any particular type.

As shown in Figure 1, the ion implanter 1 includes a first ion source 10A that generates plasma from a source gas supplied from an external source and extracts the ions contained in the plasma as an ion beam IB. The ion implanter 1 also includes an ion transport unit 2 that mass-separates the ions extracted from the first ion source 10A and transports the ion beam IB containing the desired ions, and a processing chamber 3 into which the ion beam IB is introduced from the ion transport unit 2.

Inside the processing chamber 3, an ion beam IB containing the desired ions is irradiated onto the substrate S, which has been brought in from the outside, thereby performing ion implantation on the substrate S. The first ion source 10A, the ion transport unit 2, and the processing chamber 3 are connected so that their internal spaces are in communication, and the ion beam IB passes through this internal space to reach the substrate S from the first ion source 10A. Furthermore, during operation of the ion implantation apparatus 1, this internal space is evacuated and placed under high vacuum.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the first ion source 10A, showing it mounted on the ion implanter 1. In addition to the first ion source 10A, a portion of the ion transport unit 2 is also shown in Figure 2.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first ion source 10A comprises a first housing 20 and a second housing 30 fixed to each other, and a plurality of first fixing devices 40 that detachably fix the first housing 20 and the second housing 30. Both the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 are made of a metallic material such as aluminum and are electrically conductive.

The first ion source 10A is connected to the ion transport unit 2 by fastening a bolt or other fastening member (not shown) to the ion source mounting portion 2a of the ion transport unit 2, with the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 fixed to each other. A power supply 11, schematically shown in Figure 1, is connected to the first housing 20, which is located outside the first ion source 10A. During operation of the first ion source 10A, i.e., during operation of the ion implanter 1, the power supply 11 is configured to apply a predetermined potential relative to the ground potential to the first housing 20.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the first ion source 10A in the X-X line in Figure 2, schematically showing the internal structure of the first ion source 10A.
As shown in Figure 3, the first housing 20 has a first internal space A1 in which plasma is generated. The second housing 30 has a second internal space A2 that houses a group of extraction electrodes 31 for extracting an ion beam IB from the plasma generated in the first internal space A1.

The first housing 20 and the second housing 30 are fixed together by the first fixing device 40, with an inter-housing insulating member 25 interposed between them, which electrically insulates the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 while maintaining communication between the first internal space A1 and the second internal space A2. The inter-housing insulating member 25 is interposed between the first housing 20 and the second housing 30, not only insulating them but also sealing the space between them. In other words, during operation, the first ion source 10A is configured such that a high vacuum state is maintained inside both the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 by the inter-housing insulating member 25.

Furthermore, the first fixing device 40 only needs to contribute to fixing the first housing 20 and the second housing 30. In other words, the first ion source 10A is not limited to a configuration where the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 are fixed by only one or more first fixing devices 40. For example, the first ion source 10A may further include a housing support member (not shown) fixed to the second housing 30 and supporting the lower part of the first housing 20, and the first housing 20 may be fixed to the second housing 30 by this housing support member and multiple first fixing devices 40.

Furthermore, the first fixing device 40 includes a first fixing member 41, which will be described later, and a drive mechanism 42 that operates the first fixing member 41. The first fixing member 41 is assembled to be connected to the drive mechanism 42 while being electrically insulated from the drive mechanism 42. Because the first fixing member 41 and the drive mechanism 42 are insulated from each other, it is prevented that the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 are electrically connected through the first fixing device 40 without going through the surge protection component 50 located in the second housing 30, which will be described later.
In this embodiment, the fact that the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 are electrically insulated means that the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 are not electrically connected without the surge protection component 50 described later, and can also be understood as meaning that the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 are fixed to each other while maintaining a predetermined potential difference.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first housing 20 has a long main body portion 21 whose inner wall surface forms the first internal space A1, and a first flange portion 22 formed to protrude outward from the side surface of the main body portion 21. As shown in Figure 3, a plurality of filaments 23 that supply electrons to the first internal space A1 are arranged in the first internal space A1.

The filament 23 is positioned so as to be inserted into multiple through-holes (not shown) formed along the longitudinal direction D of the main body 21 at two corners 21a of the main body 21 shown in Figures 2 and 3. These through-holes have a general configuration and are omitted from the illustration in all figures. Furthermore, the filament 23 is also omitted from the illustration in Figures 2 and 5.

Furthermore, a circuit component 24 is located on the outside of the main body 21. This component is connected to a filament power supply (not shown) located outside the first ion source 10A and supplies power to each filament 23 arranged in the first housing 20.

As shown in Figure 3, the second housing 30 has a second flange portion 32 that faces the first flange portion 22 of the first housing 20 via an inter-housing insulating member 25 when the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 are fixed together. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the second housing 30 has a third flange portion 33 that is fixed to the ion source mounting portion 2a.

The second housing 30 has a cylindrical portion 30a connecting the second flange portion 32 and the third flange portion 33. In this embodiment, the second flange portion 32, the cylindrical portion 30a, and the third flange portion 33 are integrally formed. Alternatively, the second flange portion 32, the cylindrical portion 30a, and the third flange portion 33 may be formed separately and then joined together by fastening members such as bolts to constitute the second housing 30. Furthermore, the cylindrical portion 30a may be formed by connecting separately constructed members.

As shown in Figure 3, the second internal space A2 of the second housing 30 houses a group of three electrodes, a first electrode 31a, a second electrode 31b, and a third electrode 31c, to which different potentials relative to the ground potential are applied from a power source (not shown). In this embodiment, the electrodes are arranged in the order of first electrode 31a, second electrode 31b, and third electrode 31c, starting from the one closest to the first housing 20, with the first electrode 31a corresponding to the accelerating electrode in Patent Document 1 (JP 2016-91795).

Furthermore, the second internal space A2 houses, in addition to the extraction electrode group 31, an electrode holding member 34 for holding the extraction electrode group 31, and an insulating holding member 35 that is placed inside the second housing 30 in a state where the extraction electrode group 31 and the electrode holding member 34 are insulated from the second housing 30.

In this embodiment, the electrode holding member 34 is composed of a first holding portion 34a, a second holding portion 34b, and a third holding portion 34c, which respectively hold the ends on both sides in the width direction of the first electrode 31a, the second electrode 31b, and the third electrode 31c.

Furthermore, the insulating retaining member 35 is composed of a first insulating retaining portion 35a, a second insulating retaining portion 35b, and a third insulating retaining portion 35c, which insulate the first retaining portion 34a, the second retaining portion 34b, and the third retaining portion 34c from the inner circumferential surface of the second housing 30, respectively.

The first electrode 31a, the second electrode 31b, and the third electrode 31c are insulated from each other by the electrode holding member 34 and the insulating holding member 35, and are arranged in the second internal space A2 while maintaining a predetermined distance from each other.

The electrode holding member 34 and the insulating holding member 35 are not limited to the configuration of this embodiment; any configuration that can fix the first electrode 31a, the second electrode 31b, and the third electrode 31c in predetermined positions and insulate them from each other is acceptable. In other words, the electrode holding member 34 and the insulating holding member 35 can have any configuration that allows a predetermined potential to be applied to the first electrode 31a, the second electrode 31b, and the third electrode 31c.

As shown in Figure 2, the main body 21 of the first housing 20 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The first ion source 10A is attached to the ion source mounting portion 2a with the longitudinal direction D of the main body 21 aligned with the vertical direction (Z direction in each figure).

On the second flange portion 32 of the second housing 30, a total of 10 first fixing devices 40 are arranged such that, when the first housing 20 shown in Figure 2 is fixed to the second housing 30, five first fixing devices 40 are lined up along the longitudinal direction D on each of the widthwise sides of the main body portion 21.
In this embodiment, the first ion source 10A is equipped with 10 first fixing devices 40, but the number of first fixing devices 40 may be changed as appropriate. Also, the position in which each first fixing device 40 is arranged is not limited to the arrangement in this embodiment. The number and arrangement position of the first fixing devices 40 can be any as long as the first housing 20 can be fixed to the second housing 30.

The second flange portion 32 further contains multiple surge protection components 50 to protect the power supply 11 and the circuits constituting the first ion source 10A from surge currents generated in the first housing 20, which will be described later. While the surge protection components 50 in this embodiment are ceramic capacitors, they are not limited to ceramic capacitors. For example, the surge protection components 50 may be surge absorbers.

In this embodiment, one surge protection component 50 is positioned close to one first fixing device 40. Specifically, in the first ion source 10A, with the first housing 20 fixed to the second housing 30, a total of 10 surge protection components 50 are arranged such that five surge protection components 50 are lined up along the longitudinal direction D on each side in the width direction of the second flange portion 32, which sandwiches the main body portion 21.

In this embodiment, the first fixing device 40 is an air-operated clamp and, as shown in Figure 3, includes a first fixing member 41 that contacts the first flange portion 22 of the first housing 20 to fix the first housing 20 to the second housing 30. The first fixing device 40 further includes a drive mechanism 42 for moving the first fixing member 41. As will be described later, the first fixing member 41 is operated by the drive mechanism 42 to move from the detachment position P1, via an intermediate position P2, to the fixing position P3, and conversely, from the fixing position P3, via an intermediate position P2, to the detachment position P1.

Figures 4A to 4C are side views of the first fixing device 40, showing the first fixing member 41 in the detached position P1, intermediate position P2, and fixed position P3, respectively. In addition to the first fixing device 40, Figures 4A to 4C also show a portion of the first flange portion 22 of the first housing 20, a portion of the second flange portion 32 of the second housing 30, the surge protection component 50, and a support member 52 that supports the surge protection component 50, which will be described later. Furthermore, Figures 4A to 4C schematically show the controller 60 that operates the drive mechanism 42.

As shown in Figures 4A to 4C, the first fixing member 41 comprises the first fixing member 41 and a drive mechanism 42 for moving the first fixing member 41. The first fixing member 41 is composed of a first block body 41a, which is substantially rectangular in shape and made of an insulator, and a first conductive part 41b, which is formed in a trough shape with a U-shaped cross-section to cover the bottom surface and part of the sides of the first block body 41a. The first block body 41a and the first conductive part 41b are fixed together by screws (not shown). In this embodiment, the first block body 41a is made of an insulating synthetic resin such as PEEK (polyetheretherketone), and the first conductive part 41b is made of a metal such as stainless steel, but it is not limited to these.

The drive mechanism 42 includes a base portion 42a fixed to the second flange portion 32, and a shaft portion 42b that is movable up and down by an air cylinder (not shown) located within the base portion 42a, with one end fixed to the first fixing member 41 via the first block body 41a.

In this embodiment, the first fixing device 40 is a so-called swing-type clamp, and the shaft portion 42b is configured to be able to move up and down along the axial radius R of the shaft portion 42b, and to be able to rotate around the axial radius R.

The base portion 42a and the shaft portion 42b are both made of metal and are electrically conductive. The shaft portion 42b and the first fixing member 41 are in contact only within the first insulator block body 41a. In other words, the first fixing member 41 is fixed to the shaft portion 42b in a manner that prevents contact between the first conductive portion 41b and the shaft portion 42b. Furthermore, the first fixing device 40 is configured such that, even while the drive mechanism 42 is operating, the first conductive portion 41b and the shaft portion 42b, and the first conductive portion 41b and the base portion 42a, do not come into contact. This ensures insulation between the first fixing member 41 and the drive mechanism 42.

The drive mechanism 42 is driven by remote control. More specifically, the drive mechanism 42 is configured to operate in response to signals from a controller 60 located at a distance from the first ion source 10A, as schematically shown in Figures 4A-C. In this embodiment, the controller 60 controls all first fixing devices 40 of the first fixing device 40 such that the drive mechanism 42 of each first fixing device 40 performs the same operation simultaneously. This allows the operator to operate all first fixing devices 40 simultaneously by operating a single controller 60.

In this embodiment, the surge protection component 50 has one end 50a and the other end 50b. The one end 50a and the other end 50b refer to both ends of the surge protection component 50 in an electrical circuit, and do not refer to ends based on the shape of the surge protection component 50. In this embodiment, the one end 50a and the other end 50b of the surge protection component 50 can be considered as the terminals on one side and the other side of a ceramic capacitor, respectively.

In this embodiment, the surge protection component 50 is positioned on the second flange portion 32, supported by a support member 52 fixed to the second flange portion 32. The support member 52 is made of a conductive material such as metal. One end 50a of the surge protection component 50 is electrically connected to the support member 52. The connection structure between the surge protection component 50 and the one end 50a is not limited; for example, a female terminal may be provided on the support member 52, and the one end 50a may be a male terminal, connecting them in a male-female mating configuration.

In this first embodiment, the surge protection component 50 may be directly positioned on the second flange portion 32 while being electrically connected to the second housing 30, either directly or indirectly. It is not limited to a configuration where it is electrically connected to the second housing 30 via the support member 52.

The other end 50b of the surge protection component 50 is electrically connected in advance to the first conductive portion 41b of the first fixing device 40, which is located near each surge protection component 50, by a connecting member 51. In this embodiment, the connecting member 51 is an electric wire, but it is not limited to this.

Therefore, when the other end 50b of the surge protection component 50 is electrically connected to the first housing 20, the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 are electrically connected via the surge protection component 50.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4C, when the first fixing member 41 is in the fixed position P3, the first conductive portion 41b contacts the first flange portion 22 of the first housing 20, and the first conductive portion 41b and the first housing 20 are electrically connected.

Therefore, when the first fixing member 41 of the first ion source 10A is in the fixed position P3, the other end 50b of the first ion source 10A is electrically connected to the first housing 20 via the first conductive part 41b and the connecting member 51. As a result, if a surge current occurs in the first housing 20, the surge current flows from the first housing 20 to the second housing 30 via the surge protection component 50. In other words, since the abnormal current is directed to a predetermined circuit by the surge protection component 50, problems such as the power supply 11 failing due to a surge current flowing through it are avoided.

The connecting member 51 is wired with excess length so that it can follow the movement of the first fixing member 41 and the drive mechanism 42 while the first fixing device 40 is operating, and maintain the electrical connection between the first conductive part 41b and the surge protection component 50.

The first fixing device 40 in this embodiment is not limited to an air-operated clamp, but may be, for example, a hydraulic clamp. Furthermore, while the first fixing device 40 in this embodiment is a clamping device that performs a so-called swing-type operation, it is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a clamping device that performs a so-called link-type operation. The first fixing device 40 should adopt an appropriate configuration depending on the configuration, size, weight, etc., of the first ion source 10A.

Next, the operation of the first fixing device 40 and the process of fixing and detaching the first housing 20 from the second housing 30 will be described.
When fixing the first housing 20 to the second housing 30, the worker first places the first flange portion 22 on the second housing 30 so as to align it with the mounting area B shown by the dashed line in Figure 5 of the second flange portion 32. At this time, as shown in Figure 4A, the first fixing member 41 is in the detached position P1, and the first housing 20 is placed on the second housing 30 without interfering with the first fixing member 41.

Next, the operator operates the controller 60 to move the first fixing member 41 to the intermediate position P2 shown in Figure 4B. During this time, the first fixing member 41 rotates as the shaft portion 42b rotates along the axial direction R, and moves to the intermediate position P2 located above the first flange portion 22.

Subsequently, as the shaft portion 42b descends along the axial direction R, the first fixing member 41 descends toward the first flange portion 22 and moves to the fixing position P3 shown in Figure 4C, which fixes the first housing 20 to the second housing 30. While the first fixing member 41 is in the fixing position P3, it presses the contacted portion 22a of the first flange portion 22 toward the second flange portion 32, thereby fixing the first housing 20 to the second housing 30.

As a result of this operation, the first ion source 10A enters a connected state where the first housing 20 and the other end 50b of the surge protection component 50 are electrically connected via the first conductive part 41b, which is part of the first fixing device 40, and the connecting member 51.

Furthermore, when the first fixing member 41 is in the fixed position P3, it applies a pressing force to the first housing 20. This can be understood as the drive mechanism 42 applying this pressing force to the first housing 20 via the first fixing member 41.

In this embodiment, the first fixing member 41 presses against the contacted portion 22a of the first housing 20 via the first conductive portion 41b located on the bottom surface of the first block body 41a. That is, when the first fixing member 41 is in the fixed position P3, the first conductive portion 41b is in contact with the first housing 20 with a pressing force applied from the drive mechanism 42 toward the first housing 20. Therefore, the contact between the first conductive portion 41b and the first housing 20 becomes more reliable, and the first housing 20 and the surge protection component 50 can be electrically connected more reliably.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the first ion source 10A, showing the first housing 20 detached from the second housing 30.
In order to operate the ion implanter 1, the operator needs to perform maintenance tasks such as replacing the filament 23 and cleaning the inside of the first housing 20. In this case, removing the entire first ion source 10A from the ion transport unit 2 would be a major undertaking. Therefore, maintenance work is sometimes performed by removing the first housing 20 from the second housing 30 while the second housing 30 is still fixed to the ion transport unit 2.

When performing such maintenance work, the worker first stops the operation of the ion implanter 1 and then operates the controller 60 to move the first fixing member 41 from the fixing position P3 to the detachment position P1. This makes the first housing 20 ready to be detached from the second housing 30. As a result of this operation, the first ion source 10A is released from the electrical connection between the first housing 20 and the other end 50b of the surge protection component 50, via the first conductive part 41b, which is part of the first fixing device 40, and the connecting member 51.
The operation of the first fixing device 40 during this period is simply the opposite of the operation of the first fixing member 41 from the detachment position P1 to the fixing position P3, so its explanation will be omitted.

Subsequently, using a crane (not shown) or similar device to support the first housing 20, the first housing 20 is detached from the second housing 30 as shown in Figure 5. After performing maintenance work, the first housing 20 is then fixed to the second housing 30 by performing the reverse operation.

In this embodiment, the first ion source 10A and ion implantation apparatus 1 are electrically insulated from each other by insulating retaining members 35 and fixed together by a first fixing device 40. Furthermore, multiple first fixing devices 40 and multiple surge protection components 50 are arranged on the second flange portion 32 of the second housing 30.

Furthermore, one end 50a of the surge protection component 50 is electrically connected to the second housing 30. As the first fixing device 40 fixes the first housing 20 to the second housing 30, the first housing 20 and the other end 50b of the surge protection component 50 are electrically connected via the first conductive part 41b and connecting member 51 of the first fixing device 40.

During the operation of the first ion source 10A, i.e., during the operation of the ion implanter 1, a conductive, insulating product 70, schematically shown in Figure 3, accumulates over time on the inner wall of the main body 21 of the first housing 20 and inside the second housing 30. The product 70 may include, for example, materials generated as plasma is generated within the first housing 20, or materials generated by the sputtering of the extraction electrode group 31 and electrode holding member 34 within the first ion source 10A by the ion beam IB, and is not limited to any specific material.

This insulating product 70 accumulates on and around the extraction electrode group 31, and as it becomes charged, abnormal discharge occurs. In such cases, a discharge occurs in the extraction electrode group 31, and a surge current instantaneously flows to the power supply, potentially causing malfunctions such as power supply failure. In contrast, the first ion source 10A is designed to divert the instantaneously generated surge current from the first housing 20 to the second housing 30 via the surge protection component 50 and the first conductive part 41b, which is part of the first fixing device 40. Furthermore, in the first ion source 10A, multiple surge protection components 50 are arranged in predetermined positions, which more reliably prevents the surge current generated in the first housing 20 from flowing to unintended circuits or to the power supply 11.

In this embodiment, when the first housing 20 is fixed to the second housing 30 by the first fixing device 40, the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 are electrically connected via the surge protection component 50. Furthermore, when the first fixing device 40 releases the fixing of the first housing 20 to the second housing 30, the electrical connection between the first housing 20 and the other end 50b of the surge protection component 50 via the first fixing device 40 is released. Therefore, when the fixing of the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 by the first fixing device 40 is released, the electrical connection between the first housing 20 and the surge protection component 50 is also released.

In other words, according to this embodiment, the conventional procedure of electrically connecting the first housing 20 and the surge protection component 50 with wiring members after fixing the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 is eliminated. Furthermore, the conventional procedure of disconnecting the electrical connection between the first housing 20 and the surge protection component 50 before detaching the first housing 20 from the second housing 30 is also eliminated.

According to this embodiment, the conventional work of connecting the first housing 20 and the surge protection component 50, and the work of disconnecting said connection, are eliminated, thus shortening the working time in the assembly or maintenance of the first ion source 10A. In particular, shortening the working time for maintenance reduces the downtime of the ion implanter 1, and improves the processing efficiency of the substrate S processed by the ion implanter 1.

Furthermore, this embodiment prevents operational errors such as forgetting to connect the surge protection component 50 to the first housing 20 after fixing the first housing 20 to the second housing 30, or forgetting to remove the surge protection component 50 from the first housing 20 before detaching the first housing 20 from the second housing 30.

Figure 6 is a side view showing a second fixing device 80, which is a first modified example of the first fixing device 40 in this embodiment.
The second fixing device 80 comprises a second fixing member 81 and a drive mechanism 42 common to the first fixing device 40. The second fixing device 80 can be considered as the first fixing device 40 with the first fixing member 41 replaced by the second fixing member 81.

The second fixing device 80 is configured, similar to the first fixing device 40, to move the second fixing member 81 between the detached position P1 and the fixed position P3 via an intermediate position P2, when driven by the drive mechanism 42. Figure 6 shows the second fixing member 81 in the fixed position P3.

As shown in Figure 6, the second fixing member 81 in the second fixing device 80 has a second block body 81a made of a metal material such as stainless steel, a second conductive part 81b which is L-shaped in side view, and an insulating part 81c which is interposed between the second block body 81a and the second conductive part 81b to insulate them. Furthermore, the second fixing member 81 has a terminal part 81d attached to the end of the second conductive part 81b.

Furthermore, the first flange portion 22 has a pressing portion 26 that is pressed against the second block body 81a when the second fixing member 81 is in the fixed position P3. The pressing portion 26 is made of an insulating material such as PEEK material, and the first flange portion 22 and the second block body 81a are electrically insulated when the second fixing member 81 is in the fixed position P3.
Alternatively, instead of forming a pressed portion 26 on the first flange portion 22, insulation between the first flange portion 22 and the second block body 81a may be ensured by placing a member made of insulating material on the bottom surface of the second block body 81a.

In the second fixing device 80, the second fixing member 81 is attached to the shaft portion 42b of the drive mechanism 42 so that the shaft portion 42b and the second conductive portion 81b are electrically insulated. Furthermore, in the second fixing device 80, the second conductive portion 81b and the other end portion 50b are electrically connected by a connecting member 51. While the connecting member 51 in this embodiment is an electric wire, it is not limited to this.

In this modified example, the terminal portion 81d is an elastic contact terminal, for example, a plate-shaped elastic contact terminal, and is configured to elastically contact the contact portion 27 formed on the first flange portion 22. Note that the terminal portion 81d is not limited to a plate-shaped terminal; for example, it may be coil spring-shaped, and is not limited to being elastic. The terminal portion 81d only needs to be configured to reliably electrically connect with the contact portion 27.

Furthermore, in this modified example, the contact portion 27 is formed by a member made of a conductive material such as metal attached to the first flange portion 22, but it may also be a part of the first flange portion 22. Alternatively, instead of providing a terminal portion 81d on the second conductive portion 81b, an elastic contact terminal (not shown) may be placed on the first flange portion 22, and the elastic contact terminal and the second conductive portion 81b may be electrically connected.

Figure 7 is a side view showing a third fixing device 90, which is a second modified example of the first fixing device 40 in this embodiment.
The third fixing device 90 comprises a third fixing member 91 and a drive mechanism 42 common to the first fixing device 40. The third fixing device 90 can be considered as the first fixing device 40 with the first fixing member 41 replaced by a second fixing member 81.

The third fixing device 90 is configured, similar to the first fixing device 40, to move the second fixing member 81 between the detached position P1 and the fixed position P3 via an intermediate position P2, when driven by the drive mechanism 42. Figure 7 shows the third fixing member 91 in the fixed position P3.

The third fixing device 90 is fixed to the second flange portion 32 via an insulating fixing member 28 positioned on the second flange portion 32. The insulating fixing member 28 is made of an insulating material such as PEEK, and the insulating fixing member 28 insulates the third fixing device 90 from the second flange portion 32. In other words, the third fixing member 91 is positioned on the second housing 30 in a state where its entirety is electrically insulated from the second housing 30.

In the third fixing device 90, the third fixing member 91 is composed of a third block body 91a made of a metal material such as stainless steel. The third block body 91a is attached to the drive mechanism 42 in an electrically connected state.

In this modified example, the other end 50b of the surge protection component 50 and the base portion 42a of the drive mechanism 42 are electrically connected by a connecting member 51. In this embodiment, the connecting member 51 is an electric wire, but it is not limited to this.

This modified configuration connects the first housing 20 and the surge protection component 50 via a third fixing device 90. The other end 50b of the surge protection component 50 is not limited to being electrically connected to the base portion 42a; for example, it may be connected to a third block body 91a.

In this modified example, the third block body 91a is made of a metal such as stainless steel, which allows the first housing 20 to be more securely fixed to the second housing 30.

Furthermore, the first ion source 10A in this embodiment is configured to be attached to the ion source mounting portion 2a of the ion implanter 1 with the longitudinal direction D of the main body 21 aligned with the vertical direction. In addition, in the first ion source 10A, multiple first fixing devices 40 and multiple surge protection components 50 are arranged along the longitudinal direction D.

In this configuration, conventionally, during maintenance work, workers had to sequentially connect the surge protection components 50 and the first housing 20, which were arranged vertically, using wiring materials such as electric wires. As the device became larger, this work had to be performed at a higher position, further reducing work efficiency.

In contrast, according to the configuration of this embodiment, since the drive mechanism 42 of the first fixing device 40 is driven by remote operation, the operator can fix and release the first housing 20 from the second housing 30 by operating the controller 60 at a location away from the first ion source 10A. This improves the aforementioned work efficiency and also ensures work safety.

In this embodiment, the surge protection component 50 is supported by the support member 52 and arranged separately from the first fixing member 41. However, the surge protection component 50 may also be fixed to the first fixing member 41. For example, the surge protection component 50 may be fixed to the base portion 42a, and one end portion 50a of the surge protection component 50 may be electrically connected to the base portion 42a. In this case, the first housing 20 and the surge protection component 50 will be electrically connected via the base portion 42a.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention, the second ion source 10B, will be described.
The second ion source 10B can be used in place of the first ion source 10A in the ion implantation apparatus 1. Furthermore, components common to the first ion source 10A of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and their descriptions are omitted.

The second ion source 10B includes a plurality of first fixing devices 40 positioned at the same locations as shown in Figure 2, and each first fixing device 40 performs the same operation as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, in the second ion source 10B, the surge protection components 50 shown in Figure 2 are positioned on the first flange portion 22 of the first housing 20; this is the main difference from the first ion source 10A.

Figure 8 is a side view showing a part of the second ion source 10B, and more specifically, it shows the state in which the first fixing device 40 of the second ion source 10B is in the fixed position P3.
As shown in Figure 8, the second ion source 10B is fixed on the first flange portion 22 and has a plate-shaped second support member 29 made of an insulator and a second contact portion 22b made of a conductive material placed on the upper surface of the second support member 29.

Furthermore, a surge protection component 50 is supported on the second support member 29. The surge protection component 50 is electrically connected at one end 50a to the first flange portion 22 and at the other end 50b to the second contact portion 22b.

In the second ion source 10B, unlike in the first embodiment, the first conductive portion 41b of the first fixing device 40 is directly connected to the second flange portion 32 by a connecting member 51, which is an electric wire, without the need for a surge protection component 50.

In the second ion source 10B, the first flange portion 22 and the second contact portion 22b of the first housing 20 are electrically connected via the surge protection component 50. Furthermore, the first conductive portion 41b of the first fixing device 40 and the second flange portion 32 of the second housing 30 are electrically connected. In other words, when the first conductive portion 41b contacts the second contact portion 22b, the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 become electrically connected via the surge protection component 50 and the second contact portion 22b.

Therefore, in the second ion source 10B, when the first fixing device 40 is in the fixed position P3, the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 are electrically connected via the surge protection component 50 and the second contact portion 22b. Furthermore, when the first fixing device 40 is in the detached position P1, the electrical connection between the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 is released.

Thus, the surge protection component 50 is not limited to being located in the second housing 30 as in the first embodiment, but can also be located in the first housing 20 as in the second embodiment. Furthermore, since it is clear that the second ion source 10B performs the same effects as the first ion source 10A, its explanation will be omitted.

Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and modifications described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from its spirit.

S Substrate IB Ion beam A1 First internal space A2 Second internal space 1 Ion implantation device 10A First ion source 10B Second ion source 20 First housing 21 Main body 22 First flange 30 Second housing 31 Extraction electrode group 34 Holding member 40 First fixing device 41 First fixing member 41a First block body 41b First conductive part 42 First drive mechanism part 42a First base part 42b First shaft part 50 Surge protection part 50a One end 50b Other end 51 Electric wire 60 Controller

Claims (7)

An ion source comprising a first housing having a first internal space in which plasma is generated, and a second housing having a second internal space for housing electrodes for extracting an ion beam from the plasma, wherein the first housing and the second housing are fixed together while being electrically insulated from each other, with the first internal space and the second internal space in communication,
A fixing device is provided for the second housing and for fixing the first housing to the second housing,
A surge protection component disposed in the first housing or the second housing,
Furthermore,
An ion source in which, as the fixing device fixes the first housing to the second housing, the first housing and the second housing are electrically connected via at least a part of the fixing device and the surge protection component. The aforementioned fixing device
A fixing member that acts on the first housing to fix the first housing to the second housing,
A drive mechanism that is driven by remote control to move the fixing member from a detached position where the first housing is separated from the second housing to a fixed position where the first housing is fixed to the second housing,
Equipped with,
The ion source according to claim 1, wherein the connection state is achieved when the fixing member is in the fixed position. The aforementioned fixing member,
It is connected to the drive mechanism while being electrically insulated from the drive mechanism,
The ion source according to claim 2, further comprising a conductive part that is electrically connected directly or indirectly to the first housing when it is in the fixed position. The first housing has a contacted portion that is in contact with the conductive portion when the fixing member is in the fixed position,
The ion source according to claim 3, wherein when the fixing member is in the fixed position, the conductive part contacts the contacted part while a pressing force is applied from the drive mechanism toward the first housing. The fixing device is positioned in the second housing via an insulating fixing member positioned in the second housing,
The ion source according to claim 1, wherein the fixing device is electrically connected to the second housing via the surge protection component. The first housing has an elongated main body portion that forms the first internal space,
Multiple of the aforementioned fixing devices and multiple of the aforementioned surge protection components are arranged in the second housing along the longitudinal direction of the main body when the first housing is fixed to the second housing.
The ion source according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is attached to the ion source mounting section of an ion implanter with the longitudinal direction aligned with the vertical direction. An ion implantation apparatus comprising a first housing having a first internal space in which plasma is generated, and a second housing having a second internal space for housing electrodes for extracting an ion beam from the plasma, wherein the first housing and the second housing are fixed together while being electrically insulated from each other, and the ion source is fixed together, the first housing and the second housing communicating the first internal space and the second internal space,
The ion source is,
A fixing device is provided for the second housing and for fixing the first housing to the second housing,
A surge protection component disposed in the first housing or the second housing,
Furthermore,
An ion implantation apparatus in which, as the fixing device fixes the first housing to the second housing, the first housing and the second housing are electrically connected via at least a part of the fixing device and the surge protection component.