Optimization of Xenon Difluoride Vapor Delivery

Xenon difluoride (XeF2) has been shown to provide many process benefits when used as a daily maintenance recipe for ion implant. Regularly flowing XeF2 into the ion source cleans the deposits generated by ion source operation. As a result, significant increases in productivity have been demonstrated. However, XeF2 is a toxic oxidizer that must be handled appropriately. Furthermore, it is a low vapor pressure solid under standard conditions (∼4.5 torr at 25 °C). These aspects present unique challenges for designing a package for delivering the chemistry to an ion implanter. To address these challenges, ATMI designed a high‐performance, re‐usable cylinder for dispensing XeF2 in an efficient and reliable manner. Data are presented showing specific attributes of the cylinder, such as the importance of internal heat transfer media and the cylinder valve size. The impact of mass flow controller (MFC) selection and ion source tube design on the flow rate of XeF2 are also discussed. Finally, cylinder release rate...