Lintott Models 4-4. 4-12 and 8-12 Early Ion Implanters

While many universities and corporate research labs were experimenting with ion implantation in the mid-nineteen sixties, only two companies were to deliver the first production-ready systems. Lintott Engineering Limited, a spinout from the UK Atomic Energy Research at Harwell England, delivered the second machine around 1970. We have heard it went to Signetics Corporation, now Philips Semiconductor, in Sunnyvale California^†.

The systems shown here were 2nd or 3rd generation derivatives of that first unit. Back then a system was identified by its pre-accelerating energy and the mass of its analyzing magnet. The model 4-4 was capable of 40KeV and contained a 4KG magnet. The 4-12 had a 12KG magnet, while the 8-12 had an 80KeV. All provided post-accelerations of 120KeV.

The wafer handling system could accept up to 40 two-inch wafers or a smaller number of 4 inch wafers. And back then, the wafer handling system was—by far—the most critical part of the system. For an interesting discussion on this topic see interview video of Peter Rose—the acknowledged father of ion implantation—in the Legends section. and Balzer’s History of Ion Implantation in the Artifacts section.

^†The first Unit, from High Voltage Inc., went to Fairchild Semiconductor Corp. in Mountain View CA

Industry code: 1453.00

© 1973 in England by Lintott
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Mfr’s Code: AMAT

I work on the Lintott 200 KEV high current Ion Implanter at Signetics Corporation in Sunnyvale, Ca. Signetics had purchase one that no one had been able to make work for any period of time.

Bob Parker was the manager of Signetics Ion Implant Department.We did all the Implanting for most of the Fabs.I was the Swing Shift Super- visor over production,Equipment Engineering, Process Engineering,and work as a repair technician for swing shift.

We wanted to move the Lintott that set in Fab 11 over off Evelyn in Sunnyvale to the Ion Implant Department on Arques Ave. We were bet by the Chairman of the Board that we couldn't get it to work. We took the bet. We not only moved the Lintott Ion Implanter, we used very little vendor help doing so. We couldn't remove the High Voltage section in tact so we broke it down into pcs and moved it. They had built the building around this Ion Implanter almost making it impossible to move it.

We moved it and put it back togethier on the new site. Then we had a Vendor Engineer check the machine for alignment etc and he could not find a problem. He praised everyone in the moving and rebuilding of the Ion Implanter.

We qualified the implanter for production within a week after completing the install. The Ion Implanter was used to implant over 450,000 High Energy High Current Implants.over the next few years.Signetics would have spent $13-15 per Implant with outside implant Services or around $6,000,000.

Later Bob Parker and I wrote a step by step operations manual for the Lintott that would let a absolutely new person operate the machine. We were praised by the QC lady who had never operated the Ion Implanter and ran it like a professional using our operations manual.

We had the Lintott III version in Fab 15 at Signetics. They were built by Applied Materials Ion Implant Division. I work there for about a year before coming to Signetics. I knew the machine very well.

I first was introduced to the Lintott High Energy High Current machine while working for Bruha Raka in the applications lab at Applied Materials. She was the scientist working with customers interested in purchaseing the machine. At the time Applied Materials was manufacturing the Lintott III at a Santa Clara location.

I remember a problem we had on the Lintott where if it arc and most all Ion Implanters would do that. When the Lintott arc however you had better have a lot of IC's on hand to replace the one's destroyed by the arcing. I have changed out nearly 25 IC's after a bad arcing episode. I realized that the cable and wiring harness were not properly routed in the machine that was being used in the applications lab. I modified the cable harness and was able to run implants at 220 KEV with very little arcing. I was running but the factory wasn't. The reason behind rerouteing the cable harness and getting the Lite Pipes and control wiring away from the ground ing cables was coupling over of large spikes of voltage during an arcing episode on the Lintott. After I rerouted the cabling and wiring harness this was nearly eliminated.

Engineering could not believe I was running the Labs Lintott and they couldn't get the New Lintott III's to work out on the shipping floor. They were busy thinking humidity was causing the arcing and were placing humidifiers inside the Lintotts to reduce the arcing.. Then the head engineer came it and asked how did I get my Lintott to work. Then I tolded him I had modified the Cable harness to prevent coupleing over during the arcing episodes he nearly started doing cart wheels with excitement. The engineer ordered all of the New Machines be modified like my machine and they all begin to work then they started shipping the new Lintotts to the customers. I followed the first 2 over to signetics when they were shipped. I work in fab 15 for a while then took a supervisor's position in the Ion Implant Department at Signetics.

I really enjoyed the time I spent at Signetics doing things that couldn't be done. Tracking down process problems under the great leadership of our Manager Robert (Bob) Parker . Bob is retired and living in Tucson, Arizona. Working with Micheal Current was great. We founded and started the ION IMPLANT USERS GROUP which has spread world wide and still goes today. Bob Parker, Micheal Current, Greg Heden, and Donald Satterfield were the first members of this amazing group.