Patent ID: 7320734

Claim:
A system for processing a workpiece, comprising: (A) a plasma immersion ion implantation reactor, comprising: (1) an enclosure comprising a side wall and a ceiling and defining a chamber; (2) a workpiece support pedestal within the chamber having a workpiece support surface facing said ceiling and defining a process region extending generally across said wafer support pedestal and confined laterally by said side wall and axially between said workpiece support pedestal and said ceiling; (3) said enclosure having at least a first pair of openings at opposite sides of said process region; (4) a first conductive hollow conduit outside of said chamber having first and second ends connected to respective ones of said first pair of openings, so as to provide a first reentrant path extending through said conduit and across at least nearly the entire diameter of said process region, and an annular insulating gap in said first hollow conduit; (5) an array of gas distribution openings distributed across said ceiling and being encircled by said first reentrant path, said reactor further comprising a process gas supply coupled to said array of gas distribution openings and adapted to furnish a gas containing a first species to be ion implanted into a surface layer of said workpiece; (6) a first RF plasma source power applicator coupled to said first conduit; (B) a second wafer processing apparatus; (C) wafer transfer apparatus for transferring said workpiece between said plasma immersion ion implantation reactor and said second wafer processing apparatus; wherein said enclosure has a second pair of openings at opposite sides of said process region; and said reactor further comprising a second conductive hollow conduit outside of said chamber transverse to said first hollow conduit and having first and second ends connected to respective ones of said second pair of openings, so as to provide a second reentrant path extending through said conduit and across at least nearly the entire diameter of said process region and encircling said array of gas distribution openings, and an annular insulating gap in said second hollow conduit and a second RF source power applicator coupled to said second conduit.