Abstract: A wafer carrier used in wafer treatments such as chemical vapor deposition has pockets for holding the wafers and support surfaces for supporting the wafers above the floors of the pockets. The carrier is provided with locks for restraining wafers against upward movement away from the support surfaces. Constraining the wafers against upward movement limits the effect of wafer distortion on the spacing between the wafer and the floor surfaces, and thus limits the effects of wafer distortion on heat transfer. The carrier may include a main portion and minor portions having higher thermal conductivity than the main portion, the minor portions being disposed below the pockets.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to methods and apparatus useful in the nanopatterning of large area substrates, where a rotatable mask is used to image a radiation-sensitive material. Typically the rotatable mask comprises a cylinder. The nanopatterning technique makes use of Near-Field photolithography, where the mask used to pattern the substrate is in contact or close proximity with the substrate. The Near-Field photolithography may make use of an elastomeric phase-shifting mask, or may employ surface plasmon technology, where a rotating cylinder surface comprises metal nano holes or nanoparticles.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to methods and apparatus useful in the nanopatterning of large area substrates, where a rotatable mask is used to image a radiation-sensitive material. Typically the rotatable mask comprises a cylinder. The nanopatterning technique makes use of Near-Field photolithography, where the mask used to pattern the substrate is in contact or close proximity with the substrate. The Near-Field photolithography may make use of an elastomeric phase-shifting mask, or may employ surface plasmon technology, where a rotating cylinder surface comprises metal nano holes or nanoparticles.

Abstract: A wafer carrier used in wafer treatments such as chemical vapor deposition has pockets for holding the wafers and support surfaces for supporting the wafers above the floors of the pockets. The carrier is provided with thermal control features such as trenches which form thermal barriers having lower thermal conductivity than surrounding portions of the carrier. These thermal control features promote a more uniform temperature distribution across the wafer surfaces and across the carrier top surface.

Abstract: A wafer carrier for use in a chemical vapor deposition apparatus includes at least one region on its outer surface having a substantially different (e.g., lower) emissivity than other regions on the outer surface. The modified emissivity region may be located on the outer edge, the top surface, and/or the bottom surface of the carrier. The region may be associated with one or more wafer pockets of the wafer carrier. The modified emissivity region may be shaped and sized so as to modify the heat transmission through the region, and thereby increase the temperature uniformity across portions of the top surface of the wafer carrier or across individual wafers. The modified emissivity region may be provided by a coating on the outer surface of the wafer carrier.

Abstract: A heater for a heating system of a chemical vapor deposition process includes a relatively highly emissive body and an electrically conductive heating element disposed within a passageway in the body. The heating element is constructed to melt below an operating temperature of the heater. The passageway is constructed to retain the melted heating element in a continuous path, so that an electrical current along the heating element may be maintained during operation of the heater. Various shapes and arrangements of the passageway within the body may be used, and the heating system may be constructed to provide multiple, independently controllable temperature zones.

Abstract: A wafer carrier used in wafer treatments such as chemical vapor deposition has pockets for holding the wafers and support surfaces for supporting the wafers above the floors of the pockets. The carrier is provided with locks for restraining wafers against upward movement away from the support surfaces. Constraining the wafers against upward movement limits the effect of wafer distortion on the spacing between the wafer and the floor surfaces, and thus limits the effects of wafer distortion on heat transfer. The carrier may include a main portion and minor portions having higher thermal conductivity than the main portion, the minor portions being disposed below the pockets.

Abstract: In chemical vapor deposition apparatus, a water carrier (32) has a top surface (34) holding the wafers and a bottom surface (36) heated by radiant heat transfer from a heating element (28). The bottom surface (36) of the wafer carrier is non-planar due to features such as depressions (54) so that the wafer carrier has different thickness at different locations. The thicker portions of the wafer carrier have higher thermal resistance. Differences in thermal resistance at different locations counteract undesired non-uniformities in heat transfer to the wafer. The wafer carrier may have pockets with projections (553, 853) for engaging spaced-apart locations on the edges of the wafer.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the curvature of a surface of a body such as a semiconductor wafer (22) includes directing a beam of light along an impingement axis (36) onto the surface so that a beam of light (41) is reflected from the surface at a point of impingement. The position of the reflected beam (41) is detected in two dimensions (x,y). The body (22) is moved relative to the impingement axis (41) in a direction transverse to the impingement axis and the beam-directing and position determining steps are repeated. The curvature of the surface is calculated from the detected positions of the reflected beam in a plurality of repetitions.

Abstract: A system and method for calibrating a pyrometer used in temperature detection in a chemical vapor deposition system is provided. A calibration wafer with a reference region including a metal such as Al or Ag for forming a eutectic, and an exposed non-reference region without such a metal, are provided. Reflectivity measurements are taken from the reference region, and temperature measurements are taken from the non-reference region, over a range of temperatures including a known melting point for the metal eutectic. The pyrometer is calibrated based on the correlation of the known eutectic melting point with the change in reflectivity data obtained in the reference region, in light of the temperature data obtained from the non-reference region.

Abstract: A system and method for calibrating a pyrometer used in temperature detection in a chemical vapor deposition system is provided. A calibration wafer with a reference region including a metal such as Al or Ag for forming a eutectic, and an exposed non-reference region without such a metal, are provided. Reflectivity measurements are taken from the reference region, and temperature measurements are taken from the non-reference region, over a range of temperatures including a known melting point for the metal eutectic. The pyrometer is calibrated based on the correlation of the known eutectic melting point with the change in reflectivity data obtained in the reference region, in light of the temperature data obtained from the non-reference region.

Abstract: A system and method for calibrating a pyrometer used in temperature detection in a chemical vapor deposition system is provided. A calibration wafer with a reference region including a metal such as Al or Ag for forming a eutectic, and an exposed non-reference region without such a metal, are provided. Reflectivity measurements are taken from the reference region, and temperature measurements are taken from the non-reference region, over a range of temperatures including a known melting point for the metal eutectic. The pyrometer is calibrated based on the correlation of the known eutectic melting point with the change in reflectivity data obtained in the reference region, in light of the temperature data obtained from the non-reference region.

Abstract: A system and method for calibrating a pyrometer used in temperature detection in a chemical vapor deposition system is provided. A calibration wafer with a reference region including a metal such as Al or Ag for forming a eutectic, and an exposed non-reference region without such a metal, are provided. Reflectivity measurements are taken from the reference region, and temperature measurements are taken from the non-reference region, over a range of temperatures including a known melting point for the metal eutectic. The pyrometer is calibrated based on the correlation of the known eutectic melting point with the change in reflectivity data obtained in the reference region, in light of the temperature data obtained from the non-reference region.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the curvature of a surface of a body such as a semiconductor wafer (22) includes directing a beam of light along an impingement axis (36) onto the surface so that a beam of light (41) is reflected from the surface at a point of impingement. The position of the reflected beam (41) is detected in two dimensions (x,y). The body (22) is moved relative to the impingement axis (41) in a direction transverse to the impingement axis and the beam-directing and position determining steps are repeated. The curvature of the surface is calculated from the detected positions of the reflected beam in a plurality of repetitions.