Method and apparatus for modifying a ribbon-shaped ion beam

1. A method of modifying a ribbon-shaped ion beam having an elongate cross-section normal to a beam direction, wherein at any position along said ribbon-shaped beam an orthogonal (x, y, z) Cartesian co-ordinate system is defined in which a z-axis of the co-ordinate system extends in the beam direction at a center line of said ribbon-shaped beam, an x-axis extends in a long direction of said elongate cross-section of said ribbon-shaped beam and a y-axis extends in a short direction of said elongate cross-section, the method comprising the step of:

generating at a predetermined position along the ribbon-shaped beam a magnetic field extending in an x-direction along said x-axis, said x-direction magnetic field having a non-uniform intensity which is a desired function of x.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said x-direction magnetic field has a component which has an intensity varying as a linear function of x.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said x-direction magnetic field has a component which has an intensity varying as a non-linear function of x.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said magnetic field extending in said x-direction is generated by the steps of:

providing a magnetic field device having an opening with x and y orthogonal dimensions to accommodate said ribbon-shaped beam passing said device through said opening with the x-axis of the beam extending in said x dimension, said magnetic field device having electric coil structures adapted, when selectively energized, to provide said magnetic field in said opening extending in said x-direction along said x-dimension of said opening, and

selectively energizing said electric coil structures to generate said x-direction magnetic field having said non-uniform intensity in said opening.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said electric coil structures comprise multiple coil windings, and said coil windings are selectively energized to generate said x-direction magnetic field having a non-uniform intensity varying as a selected one of a plurality of desired functions of x.

6. A method of generating a high current, high energy ribbon-shaped beam of ions for implantation, comprising the steps of:

a) extracting ions from an ion source to provide an extracted ion beam having a first energy and forming a ribbon-shaped beam having said first energy of said ions for implantation, said ribbon-shaped beam having an elongate cross-section normal to a beam direction, wherein at any position along said ribbon-shaped beam an orthogonal (x, y, z) Cartesian co-ordinate system is defined in which a z-axis of the co-ordinate system extends in the beam direction at a center line of said ribbon-shaped beam, an x-axis extends in a long direction of said elongate cross-section of said ribbon-shaped beam and a y-axis extends in a short direction of said elongate cross-section; and

b) accelerating said ribbon-shaped beam from said first energy to a second energy, wherein said ribbon-shaped beam is accelerated to said second energy by directing said ribbon-shaped beam through an acceleration assembly containing a plurality of apertured electrodes biased to provide an electrostatic accelerating field along an axis of said assembly, said assembly including an entrance plate having a beam defining aperture slot on said axis to receive said ribbon-shaped beam, said aperture slot having a long dimension which is linear;

wherein, at a position in front of said entrance plate, a magnetic field is generated extending in an x-direction along said x-axis of said ribbon-shaped beam to apply selected y-deflections about said x-axis to ions of said ribbon-shaped beam, to direct said ribbon-shaped beam through said aperture slot.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said x-direction magnetic field has a non-uniform intensity which is a desired function of x.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said x-direction magnetic field has a component which varies with a linear function of x to bring the x-axis of said ribbon-shaped beam at said entrance plate into alignment with said linear long dimension of said aperture slot.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said x-direction magnetic field has a component which varies with a non-linear function of x to flatten said ribbon-shaped beam along said x-axis at said entrance plate.

10. Apparatus for modifying a ribbon-shaped beam having an elongate cross-section normal to a beam direction, wherein at any position along said ribbon-shaped beam an orthogonal (x, y, z) Cartesian co-ordinate system is defined in which a z-axis of the co-ordinate system extends in the beam direction at a center line of said ribbon-shaped beam, an x-axis extends in a long direction of said elongate cross-section of said ribbon-shaped beam and a y-axis extends in a short direction of said elongate cross-section, the apparatus comprising:

a magnetic field device having an opening with x and y orthogonal dimensions to accommodate said ribbon-shaped beam passing said device through said opening with the x-axis of the beam extending in said x dimension, said magnetic field device having electric coil structures adapted, when selectively energized, to provide a magnetic field in said opening extending in an x-direction along said x-dimension of said opening, said x-direction magnetic field having a non-uniform intensity which is a desired function of the distance along said x-dimension; and

programmable power supplies connected to deliver predetermined currents to windings of said electric coil structures, wherein said programmable power supplies are arranged to deliver said predetermined currents to energize said coil structures to provide said x-direction magnetic field.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said electric coil structures are designed and said programmable power supplies are arranged to deliver said predetermined currents such that said x-direction magnetic field has a component which has an intensity varying as a linear function of said distance along said x-dimension.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said electric coil structures are designed and said programmable power supplies are arranged to deliver said predetermined currents such that said x-direction magnetic field has a component which has an intensity varying as a non-linear function of said distance along said x-dimension.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said magnetic field device comprises opposed ferromagnetic bars each having a length and defining between them an elongate open space to accommodate said ribbon-shaped beam passing between the bars with the x-axis of the beam extending along a length of said elongate space, and corresponding electric coil structures on each of said opposed bars.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein said electric coil structures comprise multiple coil windings, and said programmable power supplies are connected and arranged to drive selected currents in said windings to generate said x-direction magnetic field so as to have said non-uniform intensity varying as a selected one of a plurality of desired functions of x.

15. Apparatus for generating a high current, high energy ribbon-shaped beam of ions for implantation, comprising:

an ion source and ion extraction optics to provide a ribbon-shaped beam of ions for implantation having a first energy, said ribbon-shaped beam having an elongate cross-section normal to a beam direction, wherein at any position along said ribbon-shaped beam an orthogonal (x, y, z) Cartesian co-ordinate system is defined in which a z-axis of the co-ordinate system extends in the beam direction at a center line of said ribbon-shaped beam, an x-axis extends in a long direction of said elongate cross-section of said ribbon-shaped beam and a y-axis extends in a short direction of said elongate cross-section;

an acceleration assembly having an axis and containing a plurality of apertured electrodes adapted to be biased to provide an electrostatic accelerating field along said axis of said assembly, said acceleration assembly including an entrance plate having a beam defining aperture slot on said axis to receive said ribbon-shaped beam, said aperture slot having a long dimension which is linear;

a magnetic field device located in front of said entrance plate, said magnetic field device having an opening with x and y orthogonal dimensions to accommodate said ribbon-shaped beam passing said device through said opening with the x-axis of the beam extending in said x dimension, said magnetic field device having electric coil structures adapted, when selectively energized, to provide a magnetic field in said opening in an x-direction along said x dimension of said opening so as to apply selected y-deflections about said x-axis of ions of said ribbon-shaped beam, to direct said ribbon-shaped beam through said aperture slot; and

programmable power supplies connected to deliver predetermined currents to windings of said electric coil structures, wherein said programmable power supplies are arranged to deliver said predetermined currents such as to energize said coil structures to provide said x-direction magnetic field.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said magnetic field device is adapted and said programmable power supplies are arranged such that, when energized, said electric coil structures provide said x-direction magnetic field with a non-uniform intensity which is a desired function of the distance along said x-dimension.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said magnetic field device is adapted and said programmable power supplies are arranged such that, when energized, said electric coil structures provide said x-direction magnetic field having a component which varies with a linear function of said distance along said x-dimension, such as to bring the x-axis of said ribbon-shaped beam at said entrance plate into alignment with said linear long dimension of said aperture slot.

18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein said magnetic field device is adapted and said programmable power supplies are arranged such that, when energized, said electric coil structures provide said x-direction magnetic field having a component which varies with a non-linear function of said distance along said x-dimension to flatten said ribbon-shaped beam along said x-axis at said entrance plate.