Patent ID: 6414328
Filing Date: 2002-07-02
Classification: H01J,H01L

Abstract:
An apparatus for implanting ions into semiconductor wafers, said apparatus comprising:an ion implantation unit for producing an ion beam; a substantially tubular, U-shaped target presentation unit for conveying and positioning of the semiconductor wafers to the ion beam produced by said ion implantation unit, said target presentation unit including: a lateral loading chamber, a central vacuum processing chamber having a window for entry of the ion beam, and a lateral discharge chamber, said loading chamber and said discharge chamber each being partitioned into an anterior section and a posterior section; a first screw conveyor removably containing a plurality of cassettes disposed in the posterior section of said loading chamber, each of said cassettes having a semiconductor wafer vertically mounted therein; a second screw conveyor disposed in the anterior section of said loading chamber; a first door disposed at a terminal end of the posterior section of said loading chamber, and a second door positioned between the posterior section and the anterior section of said loading chamber; means for docking said first screw conveyer with said second screw conveyer to sequentially transfer the plurality of cassettes from the posterior section to anterior section of said loading chamber; a looped chain conveyor disposed in said central processing chamber for vertically transporting in sequence each of said cassettes from the anterior section of said loading chamber across the ion beam to obtain a plurality of processed semiconductor wafers; a third screw conveyor disposed in the anterior section of said discharge chamber for sequentially receiving the plurality of cassettes containing the processed semiconductor wafers; a fourth screw conveyor disposed in the posterior section of said discharge chamber; a third door disposed at a terminal end of the posterior section of said discharge chamber, and a fourth door positioned between the anterior section and the posterior section of said discharge chamber; means for docking said fourth screw conveyer with said third screw conveyer to sequentially transfer the plurality of cassettes containing the processed semiconductor wafers from the anterior section to the posterior section of said discharge chamber; motor means for driving said chain conveyor and each said screw conveyor; heating means disposed within said central processing chamber for heating the plurality of semiconductor wafers; replaceable cooling means disposed within said central processing chamber for cooling the plurality of semiconductor wafers; sensing means disposed within said loading chamber, said central processing chamber and said discharge chamber for regulating and controlling the movements of each said screw conveyor and said chain conveyor; means for adjusting the angle of the ion beam entering said central processing chamber; and means for measuring the amplitude of the ion beam.