Particle reduction strategies for high current-high volume manufacturing

The particle performance of high current implanters was studied in a wide variety of production environments and applications over a period exceeding two years. Equipment design, preventive maintenance and tool utilization were all found to play a critical role achieving particle levels < 0.10 particles/cm2 on a routine basis. Based on a parametric study of root causes, including detailed analysis of trend data and particle maps, beamline and endstation hardware was developed to address specific issues and optimize machine performance. A systematic method using six-sigma procedures, designed experiments, and SPC tools, is described for implementing procedural, software and hardware changes in a production environment. This methodology allowed us to demonstrate improvements in both equipment productivity and particle performance.