Semion ™Process Ion Energy and Ion Flux Analysis System

Product Information The Semion™ Retarding Field Energy Analyzer System is designed to measure both the Ion Energy and Ion Flux at a biased surface in a plasma chamber.

The Semion™ System consists of a Retarding Field Energy Analyzer (RFEA) multi-grid Probe, chamber feed-through assembly, and electronic control unit.

Impedans employs a range of 3-grid and 4-grid retarding field analyzers to provide industry leading ion energy distribution and ion flux measurements.

The RFEA Probe can be mounted on an electrode/substrate holder, or in a dummy wafer to sample wafer processing conditions.

The Semion™ System is suitable for installation on a wide range of plasma source configurations; capacitively coupled, inductively coupled, magnetron, pulsed bias, cascaded arc, and remote source.

Semion™ can be used under the following bias conditions (single-, dual-, and multi-frequency)

• Grounded

• DC

• Floating

• RF

• Pulsed/shaped bias

A unique feature of the product is the ability to place the RFEA probe on a driven electrode. The RFEA probe floats with the electrode, similar to a wafer or substrate, and can measure the ion flux and ion energy at the substrate surface, without disturbing the process.

The Semion™ Control Unit provides all of the required grid voltage biases and comes with software to sweep and control the RFEA Probe automatically.

• Substrate mounted Retarding Field Energy Analyzer Probe

• In-situ measurement of:

• Ion Energy Distribution • Ion Flux • Ion Current • Electron Flux and Energy

• Measurement of Ion Energies up to 2500eV at pressures up to 300mT

• Time resolved measurement capability up to 500kHz for pulsed systems, with time resolution of 44nS

• Plasma floating potential measurement adjustment feature

• Easy to install, no chamber retrofit required

• Portable system allowing analysis in multiple chambers using single system

ApplicationsThe Semion™ System finds many applications in research and industry:

• Plasma Research

❍ – IEDF, Ion Flux, EEDF, negative ion investigation

• Semiconductor process and tool R&D

❍ – Etch, PECVD, Deposition

• Materials/Thin Film Coating Process development

❍ – DC Magnetron Sputtering, HiPIMS, HPPMS etc.

• Ion Beam Analysis

• Solar/Flat Panel process and tool R&D

❍ – IEDF and ion flux monitoring

• Tool Equipment R&D

❍ – Power supply, chamber development

• Plasma Manufacturing Process Diagnostics

– Verify tool operating conditions post PM

– Measure Vdc on substrate bias voltage

Probe Material The RFEA Probe may be supplied in a wide range materials and surface finishes to match the end-user application.

Options include:

• Standard Aluminium, suitable for standard plasmas e.g. Ar, O2 and deposition Plasmas e.g. CH4, Ti

• Anodized Aluminium compatible with mild and aggressive etch chemistries

• Ceramic coated (Al2O

3) compatible with mild and aggressive

etch chemistries

• Stainless Steel

Button Probe™The Semion Button Probe™ is the first customer-serviceable retarding field energy analyzer probe, and assists with the maintenence of the Semion system in processes where a coating is deposited on the RFEA Probe while operating in a plasma process.

The Button Probe is inserted in the custom probe-holder. Once the button Probe has been coated (or etched) the probe may be removed and a new probe placed in the holder. Once the Button Probe kit has been fully expended, the kit may be returned to Impedans to be recycled and a replacement kit ordered.

High-Resolution Time-Resolved Pulsed DC measurementsThe Semion pDC system is a unique scientific instrument which delivers high-resolution IEDF and ion flux measurements in pulsed DC systems. The Semion RFEA probe sits on a floating, DC, or pulsed bias electrode or substrate holder and may be installed in HiPIMS, reactive sputtering, DC Magnetron sputtering, and a wide range of process chambers where a pulsed DC or pulsed shape bias is applied.

InstallationThe RFEA Probe is a compact device and does not require modification of the electrode during installation. The sensor sits on the electrode surface in place of a substrate. Sensor cables are fed through the chamber side port via a feed-through assembly. Electrical connections are carried to the Semion™ Control Unit from the chamber flange feed-through connections. Customized substrate holders can be supplied to support installation in all chamber types.

Features

Range of Probe Material

Button Probe

IEDF plots for pDC bias @ 350kHz

Semion™ Software Screenshot

Semion™ RFEA Probe Mounted in a Plasma Chamber

Impedans Ltd. Unit 8, Woodford Court, Woodford Business Park, Santry, Dublin 17, Ireland

Tel: + 351 1 443 4882 Email: info@impedans.com

www.impedans.com

For more information contact:

Semion 800

Ion Energy Range 0 to 800eV *

Ion Current 2mA DC max

Ion Flux 0.1 - 20mA/cm²

IEDF Resolution +/- 1eV nominal

Semion HV-2500

Ion Energy Range 0 to 2500eV*

Ion Current 2mA DC max.

Ion Flux 0.1 - 20mA/cm²

Time Resolved Frequency Range 1kHz to 500 kHz

IEDF Resolution +/- 1eV nominal

Semion pDC

Ion Energy Range 0 to 800eV*

Ion Current 2mA DC max.

Ion Flux 0.1 - 20mA/cm²

Time Resolved Frequency Range 1kHz to 500 kHz

IEDF Resolution +/- 1eV nominal

Time Resolution 44nS

RFEA Probe

Probe Configuration 3-grid & 4-grid options

Button Probe Diameter 32mm

Holder Diameter 70mm, 100mm (4”), 300mm (12”) as standard, other dimensions on request

Holder Thickness 5mm

Mounting RFEA Probe holder mounted on electrode

Probe Enclosure Material Aluminium, anodized aluminium, stainless steel, Al

2O

3, or

custom materials to order

Probe Holder Material Aluminium, anodized aluminium, stainless steel, Al

2O

3, or

custom materials to order

RFEA Probe Cable Length 500mm standard, or custom length to order

Semion System Specifications

Feed-through Assembly

Flange type KF40 standard, CF40 or other to order

Control Unit Electronics

Voltage Range Semion 800, Semion pDC -600V to +600V (suppression voltage), -420V to +420V (grid voltages),

Semion HV-2500 -2kV to +2kV(suppression voltage), 1.5kV to +1.5kV (grid voltages)

Current range 100pA to 2.4mA

Connectivity USB 2.0

Application Software

Operating System Windows 2000/XP/Vista/ Windows 7 Compatible

*dependant on DC bias