A multi-positional valve is used to control the destination of gas flows from multiple gas sources. In one valve position the gases flow to an isolated vacuum system where the flow rate and mixture can be adjusted prior to introduction into a sample vacuum chamber. In another valve position the pre-mixed gases flow from the isolated vacuum chamber and through a needle into the sample vacuum chamber.

A beamline ion implanter and a method of operating a beamline ion implanter. A method may include performing an ion implantation procedure during a first time period on a first set of substrates, in a process chamber of the ion implanter, and performing a first pressure-control routine during a second time period by: introducing a predetermined gas to reach a predetermined pressure into at least a downstream portion of the beam-line for a second time period. The method may include, after completion of the first pressure-control routine, performing the ion implantation procedure on a second set of substrates during a third time period.

The objective of the present invention is to maintain the surrounding of a sample at atmospheric pressure and efficiently detect secondary electrons. In a sample chamber of a charged particle device, a sample holder (4) has: a gas introduction pipe and a gas evacuation pipe for controlling the vicinity of a sample (20) to be an atmospheric pressure environment; a charged particle passage hole (18) and a micro-orifice (18) enabling detection of secondary electrons (15) emitted from the sample (20), co-located above the sample (20); and a charged particle passage hole (19) with a hole diameter larger than the micro-orifice (18) above the sample (20) so as to be capable of actively evacuating gas during gas introduction.

A charged particle beam apparatus according to this invention includes: a gas introduction chamber, into which raw gas is introduced; a plasma generation chamber connected to the gas introduction chamber; a coil that is wound along an outer circumference of the plasma generation chamber and to which high-frequency power is applied; an electrode arranged at a boundary between the gas introduction chamber and the plasma generation chamber and having a plurality of through-holes formed therein; a plasma electrode that is provided apart from the electrode; a detection unit for detecting whether or not the plasma has been ignited in the plasma generation chamber; and a controller that controls, based on the result of detection by the detection unit, a voltage to be supplied to the plasma electrode in association with a predetermined pressure for supplying the raw gas.

A plasma ion source includes: a gas introduction chamber, into which raw gas is introduced; an insulation member provided in the gas introduction chamber; a plasma generation chamber connected to the gas introduction chamber; a coil that is wound along an outer circumference of the plasma generation chamber and to which high-frequency power is applied; and an electrode arranged at a boundary between the gas introduction chamber and the plasma generation chamber and having a plurality of through-holes formed therein, wherein a size of the through-holes is smaller than a length of a plasma sheath.

Methods and systems for depositing a thin film are disclosed. The methods and systems can be used to deposit a film having a uniform thickness on a substrate surface that has a non-planar three-dimensional geometry, such as a curved surface. The methods involve the use of a deposition source that has a shape in accordance with the non-planar three-dimensional geometry of the substrate surface. In some embodiments, multiple layers of films are deposited onto each other forming multi-layered coatings. In some embodiments, the multi-layered coatings are antireflective (AR) coatings for windows or lenses.

Systems and processes for utilizing phosphorus fluoride in place of or in combination with, phosphine as a phosphorus dopant source composition, to reduce buildup of unwanted phosphorus deposits in ion implanter systems. The phosphorus fluoride may comprise PF3 and/or PF5. Phosphorus fluoride and phosphine may be co-flowed to the ion implanter, or each of such phosphorus dopant source materials can be alternatingly and sequentially flowed separately to the ion implanter, to achieve reduction in unwanted buildup of phosphorus solids in the implanter, relative to a corresponding process system utilizing only phosphine as the phosphorus dopant source material.

Compositions, methods, and apparatus are described for carrying out nitrogen ion implantation, which avoid the incidence of severe glitching when the nitrogen ion implantation is followed by another ion implantation operation susceptible to glitching, e.g., implantation of arsenic and/or phosphorus ionic species. The nitrogen ion implantation operation is advantageously conducted with a nitrogen ion implantation composition introduced to or formed in the ion source chamber of the ion implantation system, wherein the nitrogen ion implantation composition includes nitrogen (N.sub.2) dopant gas and a glitching-suppressing gas including one or more selected from the group consisting of NF.sub.3, N.sub.2F.sub.4, F.sub.2, SiF.sub.4, WF.sub.6, PF.sub.3, PF.sub.5, AsF.sub.3, AsF.sub.5, CF.sub.4 and other fluorinated hydrocarbons of C.sub.xF.sub.y (x≥1, y≥1) general formula, SF.sub.6, HF, COF.sub.2, OF.sub.2, BF.sub.3, B.sub.2F.sub.4, GeF.sub.4, XeF.sub.2, O.sub.2, N.sub.2O, NO, NO.sub.2, N.sub.2O.sub.4, and O.sub.3, and optionally hydrogen-containing gas, e.g., hydrogen-containing gas including one or more selected from the group consisting of H.sub.2, NH.sub.3, N.sub.2H.sub.4, B.sub.2H.sub.6, AsH.sub.3, PH.sub.3, SiH.sub.4, Si.sub.2H.sub.6, H.sub.2S, H.sub.2Se, CH.sub.4 and other hydrocarbons of C.sub.xH.sub.y (x≥1, y≥1) general formula and GeH.sub.4.

The objective of the present invention is to provide an ion beam device capable of forming a nanopyramid stably having one atom at the front end of an emitter tip even when the cooling temperature is lowered in order to observe a sample with a high signal-to-noise ratio. In the present invention, the ion beam device, wherein an ion beam generated from an electric field-ionized gas ion source is irradiated onto the sample to observe or process the sample, holds the temperature of the emitter tip at a second temperature higher than a first temperature for generating the ion beam and lower than room temperature, sets the extraction voltage to a second voltage higher than the first voltage used when generating the ion beam, and causes field evaporation of atoms at the front end of the emitter tip, when forming the nanopyramid having one atom at the front end of the emitter tip.

At timing t0, a brake gas (raw material gas) starts to be supplied to an ion beam generator, and the brake gas is fed into a turbo molecular pump. After timing t1, a vent valve is opened intermittently to feed atmospheric air into the turbo molecular pump. The brake gas may be different from the raw material gas. The brake gas is supplied using a gas supply system.