Progress, demands and prospects for advanced ion beam processing

Continuing demands for new and improved materials and structures are pushing ion beam technology further towards its limits in terms of ion energy, ion dose, deposited energy density and processing temperature and wafer size. This paper reviews recent large-scale projects funded by the Japanese government on advanced ion beam technologies. Several emerging ion beam technologies for advanced material processing are also reviewed. Some of the important problems and requirements in materials processing for future R&D are elucidated and discussed. Emphasis has been placed on semiconductor doping, etching and deposition. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.