Diagnostic measurement of ion implantation dose and uniformity with a laboratory-based positron probe

The development of a sensitive, depth-tuneable probe, with mapping capability, for low-energy ion implantation dosimetry, is described. The technique is based on the dependence of the extent of Doppler broadening of the positron annihilation linewidth upon the concentration of open-volume defects produced by the implanted ions. By varying the incident positron energy one can ensure that most of the annihilation events occur near the damage peak. A series of diagnostic measurements have been performed which demonstrate that the positron response lies on an almost universal curve, independent of ion mass and energy. The probe is highly sensitive, with a dose threshold in the 10−9 cm−2 range for many implants, and has the potential to measure dose/dose uniformity to better than 1×1011 cm−2 in the 1011−1012 cm−2 range in run times of a few seconds. Considerations underlying the development of a practical instrument based on these findings are discussed.