Plasma immersion implantation for modification and doping of semiconductor materials: a historical perspective: 1886 to 2000

Direct extraction of ions from plasma discharges in the late 1880s, resulting from studies of the nature of electrons and ions, led to the first observations of the effects of ion bombardment of surfaces, including sputtering, ion reflection and implantation. More than half a century later, the first description of a process to use ions to dope semiconductor materials to form transistors called for direct extraction and implantation of ions from a glow discharge. Technology requirements for transistor doping for shallow junctions and high aspect ratio trenches led to the modern "rebirth" of direct plasma implantation starting in the late 1980s. Materials and transistor requirements for "post-roadmap" (sub-70 nm) CMOS will foster the wide use of PIII technologies.