300 mm tools for implant, RTP

Click image for larger version. Source: Axcelis Technologies.

Downturn or not, manufacturing equipment for 300 mm wafers is making its way onto the market. Downturn or not, the technology race to meet Moore's Law continues. Two new 300 mm systems from Axcelis Technologies focus on advanced processes for ultrashallow junctions.

The HC3 high current ion implantation system is designed for source/drain extensions and other ultrashallow implants. Electron confinement reduces beam spread. Dimer As₂ and P₂ sources can increase beam current by approximately 50%. In situ wafer-positioning improves process control and throughput for multi-segment quad implants.

The Summit 300XT rapid thermal processing system targets implant anneals, but supports most other RTP applications as well. Axcelis claims that the system's hot-wall chamber operates close to thermal equilibrium, creating an inherently uniform processing environment. A thermal gradient within the chamber gives a range of possible process temperatures. The wafer heats evenly from all directions as it moves through this gradient, reducing slip and eliminating complex rotation systems and multizone controllers. Meanwhile, the company's PrecisionTempPlus model-based temperature control system predicts emissivity variations and adjusts the wafer's position in the chamber (and therefore its temperature) as needed.

Click image for larger version. Source: Axcelis Technologies.