Abstract: A workpiece support is disclosed defining a workpiece-receiving surface. The workpiece support includes a plurality of fluid zones. A fluid, such as a gas, is fed to the fluid zones for contact with a workpiece on the workpiece support. The fluid can have selected thermoconductivity characteristics for controlling the temperature of the workpiece at particular locations. In accordance with the present disclosure, at least certain of the fluid zones are at different azimuthal positions. In this manner, the temperature of the workpiece can be adjusted not only in a radial direction but also in an angular direction.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring an object temperature of an object, and including at least one heating apparatus having at least one heating element for heating an object via electromagnetic radiation. Also included is at least one first radiation detector that detects radiation coming from the object within a first field of vision, and, for determining correction parameters, a measuring device that detects the electromagnetic radiation that reaches the first field of vision from the at least one heating element up to a proportionality factor or a known intensity-dependent function.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for suppressing thermally induced motion of a workpiece. An apparatus includes a workpiece heating system configured to thermally induce motion of a workpiece, and further includes a damping member spaced apart from the workpiece and configured to apply a damping force to dampen the motion of the workpiece. The damping member may be spaced apart from a rest position of the workpiece by a distance sufficiently small that gas pressure between the damping member and the workpiece opposes the motion of the workpiece. The distance is preferably adjustable.

Abstract: An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating device which contains an assembly linear lamps for emitting light energy onto a wafer. The linear lamps can be placed in various configurations. In accordance with the present invention, tuning devices which are used to adjust the overall irradiance distribution of the light energy sources are included in the heating device. The tuning devices can be, for instance, are lamps or lasers.

Abstract: A method of heat-treating a workpiece includes generating an initial heating portion and a subsequent sustaining portion of an irradiance pulse incident on a target surface area of the workpiece. A combined duration of the initial heating portion and the subsequent sustaining portion is less than a thermal conduction time of the workpiece. The initial heating portion heats the target surface area to a desired temperature and the subsequent sustaining portion maintains the target surface area within a desired range from the desired temperature. Another method includes generating such an initial heating portion and subsequent sustaining portion of an irradiance pulse, monitoring at least one parameter indicative of a presently completed amount of a desired thermal process during the irradiance pulse, and modifying the irradiance pulse in response to deviation of the at least one parameter from an expected value.

Abstract: Temperature measurement and heat-treating methods and systems. One method includes measuring a present intensity of radiation thermally emitted from a first surface of a workpiece, and identifying a present temperature of the first surface in response to the present intensity and at least one previous thermal property of the first surface. Preferably, the workpiece includes a semiconductor wafer, and the first and second surfaces respectively include device and substrate sides thereof. The present temperature of the device side is preferably identified while the device side is being irradiated, e.g. by an irradiance flash having a duration less than a thermal conduction time of the wafer. The device side temperature may be identified in response to a previous device side temperature, which may be identified in response to a previous temperature of the substrate side unequal to the previous device side temperature, and a temperature history of the wafer.

Abstract: A heating arrangement heats a first major surface of a workpiece with an illumination energy such that a first portion of the illumination energy is directly incident upon the first major surface of the workpiece and a second portion of the illumination energy is directed such that, at least initially, the second portion would miss the first major surface. A reflector, having a central opening, reflects at least some of the second portion of the illumination energy onto the peripheral edge region of the workpiece for preheating compensation. The reflector is configured for shadow-free exposure of a second, opposing major surface of the workpiece to a flash heating energy. A workpiece manipulation arrangement is described to provide for dynamic preheating movement to vary a heating profile across the workpiece and, thereafter, move the workpiece to a flash heating position. Automatic workpiece centering is featured by the manipulation arrangement.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting a workpiece during heat-treating includes a support plate having a non-planar upper surface, and a support system. The support system is configured to support the workpiece above the support plate during heat-treating of the workpiece, such that a lower surface of an initial shape of the workpiece is supported at a non-uniform spacing above the non-planar upper surface of the support plate, said non-uniform spacing including an edge gap beneath an outer perimeter of the workpiece, and a central gap at a central axis of the workpiece.

Abstract: In processing an integrated circuit structure including a contact arrangement that is initially covered by a stop layer, a first plasma is used to etch to form openings through an overall insulation layer covered by a patterned layer of photoresist such that one contact opening is associated with each contact. Stripping of the patterned layer of photoresist and related residues is performed. After stripping, the stop layer is removed from the contacts. In one feature, the stop layer is removed from the contacts by etching the stop layer using a plasma that is generated from a plasma gas input that includes hydrogen and essentially no oxygen. In another feature, the photoresist is stripped after the stop layer is removed. Stripping the patterned layer of photoresist and the related residues is performed, in this case, using a plasma that is formed predominantly including hydrogen without oxygen.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for heating semiconductor wafers in thermal processing chambers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a non-contact temperature measurement system that utilizes radiation sensing devices, such as pyrometers, to determine the temperature of the wafer during processing. The radiation sensing devices determine the temperature of the wafer by monitoring the amount of radiation being emitted by the wafer at a particular wavelength. In accordance with the present invention, a spectral filter is included in the apparatus for filtering light being emitted by lamps used to heat the wafer at the wavelength at which the radiation sensing devices operate. The spectral filter includes a light absorbing agent such as a rare earth element, an oxide of a rare earth element, a light absorbing dye, a metal, or a semiconductor material.

Abstract: An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating device which contains an assembly linear lamps for emitting light energy onto a wafer. The linear lamps can be placed in various configurations. In accordance with the present invention, tuning devices which are used to adjust the overall irradiance distribution of the light energy sources are included in the heating device. The tuning devices can be, for instance, are lamps or lasers.

Abstract: Pulsed processing methods and systems for heating objects such as semiconductor substrates feature process control for multi-pulse processing of a single substrate, or single or multi-pulse processing of different substrates having different physical properties. Heat is applied a controllable way to the object during a background heating mode, thereby selectively heating the object to at least generally produce a temperature rise throughout the object during background heating. A first surface of the object is heated in a pulsed heating mode by subjecting it to at least a first pulse of energy. Background heating is controlled in timed relation to the first pulse. A first temperature response of the object to the first energy pulse may be sensed and used to establish at least a second set of pulse parameters for at least a second energy pulse to at least partially produce a target condition.

Abstract: The object of the disclosure is to measure temperature using pyrometers, in a simple and economic way, enabling precise temperature measurement, even for low temperatures. The disclosure presents an apparatus and method for thermally treating substrates, wherein the substrate is exposed to at least a first and at least a second radiation; the predetermined wavelengths of the first radiation are absorbed between the first radiation source and the substrate; a radiation from the substrate is measured in the predetermined wavelength using a radiation detector arranged on the same side as a second radiation source; the second radiation from the second radiation source is modulated and determined.

Abstract: A multi-workpiece chamber includes at least two processing stations, for exposing workpieces to a treatment process. A partition cooperates with the chamber such that the partition is disengagably removable from the chamber and re-engagable with the chamber for selectively dividing the processing stations. The partition is configured to provide for non-line-of-sight travel of certain ones of the process related products between the processing stations. An exhaust arrangement divides exhaust flow into at least two approximately equal exhaust flow portions that leave the multi-workpiece chamber in a way which enhances uniformity of the treatment process for the stations. A partition configuration is described including a partition portion between the stations and a baffle portion extending into an exhaust arrangement. A modified partition arrangement is provided for use in establishing a modified exchange characteristic of the process related products.

Abstract: An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating device which contains an assembly linear lamps for emitting light energy onto a wafer. The linear lamps can be placed in various configurations. In accordance with the present invention, tuning devices which are used to adjust the overall irradiance distribution of the light energy sources are included in the heating device. The tuning devices can be, for instance, are lamps or lasers.

Abstract: A more uniform plasma process is implemented for treating a treatment object using an inductively coupled plasma source which produces an asymmetric plasma density pattern at the treatment surface using a slotted electrostatic shield having uniformly spaced-apart slots. The slotted electrostatic shield is modified in a way which compensates for the asymmetric plasma density pattern to provide a modified plasma density pattern at the treatment surface. A more uniform radial plasma process is described in which an electrostatic shield arrangement is configured to replace a given electrostatic shield in a way which provides for producing a modified radial variation characteristic across the treatment surface. The inductively coupled plasma source defines an axis of symmetry and the electrostatic shield arrangement is configured to include a shape that extends through a range of radii relative to the axis of symmetry.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus and process for heating and cooling semiconductor wafers in thermal processing chambers. In particular, the apparatus of the present invention includes a cooling device for actively cooling the wafers after the wafers have been heated. During use, the cooling device can be movable towards and away from a wafer placed in the chamber for selectively cooling the wafer at desired times. In an alternative embodiment, a gas can be directed towards the wafer for rapidly reducing the temperature of the wafer at the completion of the process. Alternatively, the wafer can be lowered to close proximity of a cooling member to achieve active and selective cooling.

Abstract: A heating arrangement heats a first major surface of a workpiece with an illumination energy such that a first portion of the illumination energy is directly incident upon the first major surface of the workpiece and a second portion of the illumination energy is directed such that, at least initially, the second portion would miss the first major surface. A reflector, having a central opening, reflects at least some of the second portion of the illumination energy onto the peripheral edge region of the workpiece for preheating compensation. The reflector is configured for shadow-free exposure of a second, opposing major surface of the workpiece to a flash heating energy. A workpiece manipulation arrangement is described to provide for dynamic preheating movement to vary a heating profile across the workpiece and, thereafter, move the workpiece to a flash heating position. Automatic workpiece centering is featured by the manipulation arrangement.

Abstract: A resistive heater having a doped ceramic heating element embedded either partially or completely within a matrix of undoped ceramic material. The ceramic may be silicon carbide, and the dopant may be nitrogen. Many of the advantages of the present heater stern from the fact that the materials used for the heating elements and the matrix material surrounding those elements have substantially the same coefficient of thermal expansion. In one embodiment, the heater is a monolithic plate that is compact, strong, robust, and low in thermal mass, allowing it to respond quickly to power input variations. The resistive heater may be used in many of the reactors and processing chambers used to fabricate integrated circuits, such as those that deposit epitaxial films, and carry out rapid thermal processing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for heating semiconductor wafers in thermal processing chambers. The apparatus includes a non-contact temperature measurement system that utilizes radiation sensing devices, such as pyrometers, to determine the temperature of the wafer during processing. The radiation sensing devices determine the temperature of the wafer by monitoring the amount of radiation being emitted by the wafer at a particular wavelength. In accordance with the present invention, a spectral filter is included in the apparatus for filtering light being emitted by lamps used to heat the wafer at the wavelength at which the radiation sensing devices operate. The spectral filter includes a light absorbing agent such as a rare earth element, an oxide of a rare earth element, a light absorbing dye, a metal, or a semiconductor material.