OEM P/N:
ESCT P/N:
PART TYPE:
OEM:
The Current-to-Voltage Converter PWBA, known in Applied Materials service nomenclature as the I-to-V converter board, where PWBA denotes a Printed Wiring Board Assembly, is a precision signal-conditioning electronics module used in the dose-measurement and beam-diagnostic chain of AMAT ion implanters. Its single purpose is to take the extremely small electrical current collected from a Faraday cup, beam-current monitor, or dose integrator electrode and convert it into a clean, scaled analogue voltage that downstream instrumentation, the dose processor, and the tool controller can read with confidence.
In an ion implanter, dose accuracy is everything. The implanted dose is derived by integrating beam current over time, so the fidelity of the current-to-voltage conversion stage directly determines whether a wafer receives the intended ion fluence. The I-to-V converter sits at the front of this measurement path, typically mounted near the beamline electronics rack or end-station diagnostics, where it must resolve currents that may range from sub-nanoampere leakage levels up to tens of milliamps of high-current beam, all without introducing offset, drift, or noise that would corrupt the dose reading.
Because it operates in close proximity to high-energy, high-voltage source and beamline hardware, this PWBA is engineered for stable performance in an electrically noisy environment. A failed or drifting converter board is a common but easily overlooked cause of dose non-uniformity, repeated wafer reworks, and process qualification failures, which makes it an important spare to hold for any fab running AMAT implant tools.
The board performs the transimpedance function at the heart of beam-current and dose metrology, translating collected charge into a proportional, linear voltage that the rest of the control system treats as the primary process signal.
The defining characteristic of an I-to-V converter is its transimpedance gain and how faithfully it holds that gain across the full implant current span. Stable, well-matched feedback components and precision operational amplifiers deliver repeatable dose readings.
Because the board lives near high-voltage source electronics and switching power supplies, its ability to reject interference while preserving the wanted signal is critical to dose repeatability.
As the gateway between the beam-collection electrode and the dose-control system, this board has an outsized effect on implant accuracy relative to its modest size. When it performs correctly the effects are invisible; when it drifts or fails, the consequences propagate straight to the wafer.
Ageing operational amplifiers, thermal cycling, and gradual change in precision feedback resistors can shift the transimpedance value or introduce a baseline offset. The board still appears functional but reports a systematically wrong current, slowly corrupting dose accuracy until a metrology check uncovers it.
At high gain the input is sensitive to picoampere-level leakage. Surface contamination, flux residue, humidity ingress, or degraded guarding around the input node can create stray current paths that swamp genuine low-current readings and produce non-linear behaviour at the bottom of the range.
Electrical transients coupled from the high-voltage source, supply-rail faults, or simple connector fatigue can cause hard failures, a saturated or dead output, intermittent open circuits, or damaged input protection. These present as sudden dose faults, erratic beam-current readings, or a board that fails self-test at start-up.
Replacement should be carried out by qualified service personnel using correct ESD precautions, with the relevant beamline and high-voltage supplies safely powered down and verified before any work begins.
Dose-metrology electronics are exactly the kind of low-cost, high-consequence item that should never gate a tool’s return to production. ESCT Fab Support helps implant fabs keep these critical signal boards on the shelf and reduce dependence on long OEM lead times.
It converts the small electrical current collected from a beam-current electrode or Faraday cup into a proportional, scaled voltage. That voltage is the primary signal the implanter uses to measure beam current and integrate implanted dose, so the board sits at the front of the dose-metrology chain.
No. This is supplied as an OEM-compatible part, verified to match the original assembly in form, fit, and function. It is not an original OEM part and is not sold as one, but it is intended to serve as a direct replacement for the equivalent Applied Materials board.
Typical symptoms include dose faults, erratic or noisy beam-current readings, dose values that drift consistently high or low, failure of dose-system self-tests, or process monitors flagging out-of-spec implant lots. Verifying the output against a known reference current will usually confirm a converter problem.
Yes. After installation you should run the tool’s dose diagnostics, verify the converter output against a reference, and complete the beam-current and dose calibration defined in the AMAT service procedure, finishing with a uniformity check on a qualification wafer before production use.
Implanted dose is calculated by integrating beam current over time. Any gain error, offset, or noise introduced by the converter feeds directly into that calculation, which can shift device threshold voltages and junction profiles and ultimately affect yield on implant-sensitive process steps.
It is strongly advisable. The board is inexpensive relative to the cost of implanter downtime and scrapped lots, and a converter fault can halt production until a replacement is fitted and calibrated. Keeping a verified spare on the shelf removes that single point of failure.
The Current-to-Voltage Converter PWBA is a precision transimpedance signal-conditioning board that turns the tiny current collected from an Applied Materials implanter’s beam-current electrode into the scaled voltage used for dose measurement. Its accuracy, linearity, low-leakage input handling, and noise rejection directly govern dose repeatability and, ultimately, implant yield. Because gain drift, input leakage, and component or connector failure can all quietly compromise process accuracy, this is a high-value, low-cost spare to keep available. ESCT Fab Support offers form-, fit-, and function-verified replacement boards to keep XR80 / 9500-class and related implant tools running with minimal downtime.
Disclaimer: This part is supplied by ESCT Fab Support as a new, OEM-compatible second-source component, verified to the form, fit and function of Applied Materials part number 0100-90192. It is not an original OEM part and is not sold as one. It is not manufactured by, endorsed by, or affiliated with Applied Materials, and all manufacturer names and part numbers are quoted for identification and compatibility purposes only.
Fill out the form below to request a quote for the part/s you require, making sure to include the OEM part number.
If the part you are looking for is not listed, get in touch and we will try to source it for you through our wide network of partners and suppliers.
We use cookies We use analytics cookies to see how visitors use this site, so we can improve it. They are set only if you accept. Read our Cookie Policy.
