Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method of exposing a target material to an ion beam in an ion implantation system, the method comprising: detecting an ion beam at a first location with a first detector;  detecting the ion beam at a second location with a second detector at the same time as the first detector,  quantifying an amount of ion beam neutralization based upon a measurement deviation between the first detector and the second detector, wherein quantifying includes  determining a reference ratio at a first ion beam current at the first location of a processing chamber and the second location of a processing chamber, wherein the first location is further from a first target of the ion beam than the second location;  determining a current ratio of a second ion beam current at the first location and the second location, wherein the second ion beam current is being used to process a second target; and  determining a charge neutralization component of the ion beam at the second target location based on the reference ratio and the current ratio; and  controlling a characteristic of the ion beam of the implantation system based upon the amount of ion beam neutralization. 2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the target material is a semiconductor substrate. claim 1 3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the target material is any substance to be implanted using the ion beam. claim 1 4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a characteristic is selected from a group consisting of: beam current, beam energy, beam scan rate, vacuum, gas pressure, and ion dose. claim 1 5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reference ratio is determined when a relatively high-level, stable vacuum exists along the ion beam line and no target material is present. claim 1 6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reference ratio is determined at the beginning of implantation when a relatively high-level, stable vacuum exists along the ion beam line and target material is present. claim 1 7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein controlling includes: claim 1 modifying the ion dose based upon the charge neutralization component to create a total dose; and  adjusting a process parameter based on the total dose. 8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein a process parameter is selected from a group consisting of: beam current, beam energy, beam scan rate, vacuum, gas pressure, and ion dose. claim 7 9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second detector is fixed in place and sited adjacent to the target position. claim 1 10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second detector is moveable and sited adjacent to the target position during measurement. claim 1 11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second detector is fixed in place and sited behind the target position. claim 1 12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second detector is moveable and sited behind the target position. claim 1 13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second detector is sited along the beam path to the target position. claim 1 14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reference ratio is in the range of approximately 100:1 to 1:1. claim 1 15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the range of the reference ratio is dependent upon the location of a first detector with reference to a second detector. claim 14 16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the reference ratio may be a previously stored value retrieved from control software. claim 14 17. A system comprising: memory;  a processor operably connected to said memory;  a program of instructions, said program of instructions including instructions to receive a first measurement from a first detector and to receive a second measurement from a second detector, and to manipulate said processor to:  quantify an amount of ion beam neutralization based upon a measurement deviation between the first detector and the second detector, wherein the first detector and the second detector measure an ion beam at the same time, where to quantify includes:  determining a reference ratio at a first ion beam current at a first location of a processing chamber and a second location of a processing chamber, wherein the first location is further from a first target of the ion beam than the second location;  determining a current ratio of a second ion beam current at the first location and the second location, wherein the second ion beam current is being used to process a second target;  determining a charge neutralization component of the ion beam at the second target location based on the reference ratio and the current ratio; and  control a characteristic of the ion beam of an ion implantation system based upon the amount of ion beam neutralization. 18. The system of  claim 7 , wherein a characteristic is selected from a group consisting of: beam current, beam energy, beam scan rate, vacuum, gas pressure, and ion dose. claim 7 19. The system of  claim 17 , wherein controlling includes: claim 17 modifying the ion dose based upon the charge neutralization component to create a total dose; and  adjusting a process parameter based on the total dose. 20. The system of  claim 19 , wherein a process parameter is selected from a group consisting of: claim 19 beam current, beam energy, beam scan rate, vacuum, gas pressure, and ion dose.