Pulsed plate plasma implantation method and apparatus

Method and apparatus for treating a workpiece implantation surface (120) by causing ions to impact the workpiece implantation surface (120). An implantation chamber (12) defines a chamber interior (24) into which one or more workpieces (14) can be inserted. A support (30) positions one or more workpieces (14) within an interior region (34) of the implantation chamber (12) so that implantation surfaces (120) of the workpieces (14) are facing the interior region (34). A dopant material in the form of a gas is injected into the implantation chamber (12) to cause the gas to occupy a region (34) of the implantation chamber (12) in close proximity to the one or more workpieces (14). A plasma of implantation material is created within the interior region (34) of the implantation chamber (12). First and second conductive electrodes (30, 32) positioned within the implantation chamber (12) include conductive surfaces in proximity to the chamber interior (24, 34) occupied by the one or more workpieces (12). A voltage source outside the chamber relatively biases the first and second conductive electrodes (30, 32). A control circuit (100) utilizes the voltage source for repeatedly relatively biasing the first and second conductive electrodes (30, 32) to energize the electrodes (30, 32) with a sequence of pulses (112, N, P) that both ionize the gas molecules injected into the chamber (12) and accelerate the ionized gas molecules toward the implantation surfaces (120) of the one or more workpieces (14).