ION IMPLANTERS FOR SURFACE MODIFICATION OF METALS

Extensive experience has now been gained with respect to the applicati on of ion implantation for surface modification of metals. Some implan ters have been specifically developed to serve in research and develop ment as well. as in service implantation work. within this held. This paper gives an overview of available ion implanters for surface modifi cation of metals and their different design philosophies. A special ma gnetic scanning and beam position control has been designed for our hi gh-current implanter, capable of fast and efficient ion implantation o f tools and components. Accurate magnetic steering of the ion beam by means of computer control allows high-current ion implantation to be p erformed on selected areas and patterns in the process chamber. In thi s way, only the important and relevant areas of the specimens are impl anted. Thus, ion beam-induced heating of the specimens is decreased an d the total process time is considerably reduced, making ion implantat ion a less costly commercial treatment for several tools and component s. Finally, future trends in equipment and technology have been touche d upon.