Surface modification by plasma ion and ion beam implantation

Plasma ion implantation (PII) is a relatively new technique for the surface modification of materials. It is emerging as a potential competitor for the conventional ion beam implantation technique in many semiconductor and non-semiconductor materials processing applications. The most attractive feature of the PII process is its efficiency in implanting large areas and three-dimensional objects at a rate orders of magnitude faster than conventional methods and without the need for sample manipulation. In this paper, the following PII applications are considered: doping shallow junctions and the etching effects of the doping gases; efficient hydrogenation of polycrystalline silicon thin films transistors; and modification of carbon thin film coatings and rubber materials. The results from investigations of these applications are compared to results obtained by conventional ion beam implantation methods. (author)