Abstract: In a system for thermal processing of a semiconductor substrate, a reflector plate has a stepped surface facing the substrate during heating and cooling of the substrate. The raised surface of the reflector plate has reduced reflectivity, providing advantages during, among other things, cooling of the substrate. The reflector plate also includes a number of recesses to which one or more pyrometers are coupled. These recesses have a highly reflective surface, providing advantages in the performance of the pyrometers.

Abstract: A system, method and medium for controlling a wafer processing chamber using two or more processors (within one or more computer processing systems), wherein specified functions are assigned to each processor. Some embodiments contemplate that each processor may reside within its own computer processor system (each computer processor system being in communication with the other), wherein each computer processor system implements specified functions to control and maintain certain parameters involved in the manufacture of the wafer. This allows the present invention to react quickly to maintain rapidly-changing desired conditions within a wafer processing chamber and to maintain a greater degree of uniformity of those conditions throughout the wafer.

Abstract: The thermal processing device includes a stage, a continuous wave electromagnetic radiation source, a series of lenses, a translation mechanism, a detection module, and a computer system. The stage is configured to receive a substrate thereon. The continuous wave electromagnetic radiation source is disposed adjacent the stage, and is configured to emit continuous wave electromagnetic radiation along a path towards the substrate. The series of lenses is disposed between the continuous wave electromagnetic radiation source and the stage, and are configured to condense the continuous wave electromagnetic radiation into a line of continuous wave electromagnetic radiation on a surface of the substrate. The translation mechanism is configured to translate the stage and the line of continuous wave electromagnetic radiation relative to one another. The detection module is positioned within the path, and is configured to detect continuous wave electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: A modeling method to identify optimum laser parameters for pulsed laser annealing of implanted dopants into patterned semiconductor substrates is provided. The modeling method provides the optimum range of wavelength, pulse length, and pulse shape that fully anneals the implanted regions while preserving the form and function of ancillary structures. Improved material parameters for the modeling are identified. The modeling method is used to determine an experimental verification method that does not require a fully equipped laser processing station. The model and verification are used to specify an optimum laser system that satisfies the requirements of large area processing of silicon integrated circuits. An alexandrite laser operating between 700 nm and 810 nm with a pulse length of 5 ns to 20 nS is identified for implant anneal of shallow dopants in silicon.

Abstract: An apparatus of a reactor or processing chamber comprising a chamber having a resistive heater disposed within a volume of the chamber, including a stage having a surface area to support a substrate such as a wafer and a body including at least one heating element, a shaft coupled to the body, a plurality of temperature sensors coupled to the chamber, each configured to measure a temperature at separate points associated with the surface area of the stage, and a motor coupled to the shaft and configured to rotate the resistive heater about an axis through the shaft. In this manner, the temperature sensors may measure a temperature at separate points of the surface area of the stage. A method of rotating a shaft and measuring a plurality of temperatures over the surface area of the stage or over a wafer seated on the stage with the plurality of temperature sensors.

Abstract: A system, method and medium for controlling a wafer processing chamber using two or more processors (within one or more computer processing systems), wherein specified functions are assigned to each processor. Some embodiments contemplate that each processor may reside within its own computer processor system (each computer processor system being in communication with the other), wherein each computer processor system implements specified functions to control and maintain certain parameters involved in the manufacture of the wafer. This allows the present invention to react quickly to maintain rapidly-changing desired conditions within a wafer processing chamber and to maintain a greater degree of uniformity of those conditions throughout the wafer.

Abstract: A temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of a substrate in a thermal processing chamber is described. The chamber includes a reflector forming a reflecting cavity with a substrate when the substrate is positioned in the chamber. The temperature sensor includes a probe having an input end positioned to receive radiation from the reflecting cavity, and a detector optically coupled to an output end of the probe. The radiation entering the probe includes reflected radiation and non-reflected radiation. The detector measures an intensity of a first portion of the radiation entering the probe to generate a first intensity signal and measures an intensity of a second portion of the radiation entering the probe to generate a second intensity signal. The detector is configured so that a ratio of the reflected radiation to the non-reflected radiation is higher in the first portion than the second portion. The two intensity signals are used to calculate the temperature and emissivity of the substrate.

Abstract: A system, method and medium for controlling a wafer processing chamber using two or more processors (within one or more computer processing systems), wherein specified functions are assigned to each processor. Some embodiments contemplate that each processor may reside within its own computer processor system (each computer processor system being in communication with the other), wherein each computer processor system implements specified functions to control and maintain certain parameters involved in the manufacture of the wafer. This allows the present invention to react quickly to maintain rapidly-changing desired conditions within a wafer processing chamber and to maintain a greater degree of uniformity of those conditions throughout the wafer.

Abstract: A temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of a substrate in a thermal processing chamber is described. The chamber includes a reflector forming a reflecting cavity with a substrate when the substrate is positioned in the chamber. The temperature sensor includes a probe having an input end positioned to receive radiation from the reflecting cavity, and a detector optically coupled to an output end of the probe. The radiation entering the probe includes reflected radiation and non-reflected radiation. The detector measures an intensity of a first portion of the radiation entering the probe to generate a first intensity signal and measures an intensity of a second portion of the radiation entering the probe to generate a second intensity signal. The detector is configured so that a ratio of the reflected radiation to the non-reflected radiation is higher in the first portion than the second portion. The two intensity signals are used to calculate the temperature and emissivity of the substrate.

Abstract: A calibration instrument for calibrating a temperature probe, such as pyrometer, uses a stable light source and a filter to simulate a blackbody of a known temperature. An alignment tool aligns a light-emitting surface of the calibration instrument to the input of the temperature probe. The calibration instrument may include a fiber optic bundle to transmit light from the light source to the light emitting surface.

Abstract: A temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of a substrate in a thermal processing chamber is described. The chamber includes a reflector forming a reflecting cavity with a substrate when the substrate is positioned in the chamber. The temperature sensor includes a probe having an input end positioned to receive radiation from the reflecting cavity, and a detector optically coupled to an output end of the probe. The radiation entering the probe includes reflected radiation and non-reflected radiation. The detector measures an intensity of a first portion of the radiation entering the probe to generate a first intensity signal and measures an intensity of a second portion of the radiation entering the probe to generate a second intensity signal. The detector is configured so that a ratio of the reflected radiation to the non-reflected radiation is higher in the first portion than the second portion. The two intensity signals are used to calculate the temperature and emissivity of the substrate.

Abstract: A temperature probe has a light conductor for optically transmitting temperature information to a pyrometer. The light conductor has a first portion which is adapted to capture temperature information and a second portion which is connected to the pyrometer. The probe also has an enclosure for protecting the second portion of the light conductor. The enclosure in turn has a passageway for housing the second portion of the light conductor and an opening for projecting the first portion of the light conductor from the passageway to the outside of the enclosure. Additionally, a seal is provided in the passageway adjacent the opening to encapsulate the second portion of the light conductor inside the passageway.

Abstract: A temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of a substrate in a thermal processing chamber is described. The chamber includes a reflector forming a reflecting cavity with a substrate when the substrate is positioned in the chamber. The temperature sensor includes a probe having an input end positioned to receive radiation from the reflecting cavity, and a detector optically coupled to an output end of the probe. The radiation entering the probe includes reflected radiation and non-reflected radiation. The detector measures an intensity of a first portion of the radiation entering the probe to generate a first intensity signal and measures an intensity of a second portion of the radiation entering the probe to generate a second intensity signal. The detector is configured so that a ratio of the reflected radiation to the non-reflected radiation is higher in the first portion than the second portion. The two intensity signals are used to calculate the temperature and emissivity of the substrate.

Abstract: A calibration instrument for calibrating a temperature probe, such as pyrometer. The calibration instrument uses two stable light sources, such as light emitting diodes, to simulate a blackbody of a known temperature.

Abstract: A method of correcting a temperature probe reading in a thermal processing chamber for heating a substrate, including the steps of heating the substrate to a process temperature and using a first, a second and a third probe to measure the temperature of the substrate. The first probe has a first effective reflectivity and the second probe has a second effective reflectivity. The first probe produces a first temperature indication, the second probe produces a second temperature indication and the third probe produces a third temperature indication. The first and second effective reflectivities may be different. From the first and second temperature indications, a corrected temperature reading for the first probe may be derived, wherein the corrected temperature reading is a more accurate indicator of an actual temperature of the substrate than an uncorrected readings produced by both the first and second probes.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods of thermally processing a substrate inside a processing chamber including a radiation source for heating the substrate are described. In one aspect, a detection system is configured to receive radiation from the substrate and to produce first and second detection system signals respectively representative of different first and second spectral portions of the received radiation. A processor is coupled to the detection system and configured to compute a measure of substrate temperature based upon the second detection system signal and to compute an indication of the relative accuracy of the computed measure of substrate temperature based upon the first detection system signal.

Abstract: A calibration instrument for calibrating a temperature probe, such as pyrometer, uses a stable light source, such as a light emitting diode, to simulate a blackbody of a known temperature. The light source is located inside a chamber and emits light through an aperture. The calibration instrument may be inserted into a thermal processing chamber, or the temperature probe may be removed from the chamber. An alignment tool aligns the aperture to the input of the temperature probe. The calibration instrument may be integrated with the alignment tool, or it may be removable.

Abstract: A calibration instrument for calibrating a temperature probe, such as pyrometer, uses a stable light source and a filter to simulate a blackbody of a known temperature. An alignment tool aligns a light-emitting surface of the calibration instrument to the input of the temperature probe. The calibration instrument may include a fiber optic bundle to transmit light from the light source to the light emitting surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the temperature of a substrate in a thermal processing chamber. The substrate is suspended above a reflector to form a reflecting cavity. A probe of a temperature sensor has an input end positioned to receive radiation from the reflecting cavity and an output end optically coupled to a detector to provide a temperature reading. The temperature sensor is configured to reduce the effect that radiation which has an axis of propagation within an angle of an axis normal to the reflector, e.g., substantially normal radiation from a portion of the substrate adjacent to the input end of the probe, has on the temperature reading.

Abstract: A probe for measuring the temperature of a substrate in a substrate processing chamber. The probe includes a light pipe, one end of which is inserted into the processing chamber. The other end of the light pipe is connected to a bifurcated optical fiber. A light source is optically coupled to one branch of the optical fiber, and a pyrometer is optically coupled to another branch. To self-calibrate the probe, an object of stable reflectivity, e.g., a gold-plated wafer, is inserted into the chamber, the light source is activated, and the intensity of light reflected from the object is measured by the pyrometer.