Abstract: A method and apparatus for targeting a beam of radiation is provided. A beam steering mirror and a beam capture mirror are movably disposed along an optical pathway. A controller moves the beam steering mirror and the beam capture mirror in an x-y plane, and rotates the mirrors, to target the beam to a target location on a surface, while keeping the optical path length substantially constant for all target locations on the surface. The surface is rotated by a rotational actuator to bring all target locations to positions accessible by the beam targeting optics. Imprecision in targeting and optical path length may be compensated by providing an actuated aperture at the beam entry point and/or a variable focus lens with an optical range finding detector, all in communication with the controller.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for decorrelating coherent light from a light source, such as a pulsed laser, in both time and space in an effort to provide intense and uniform illumination are provided. The techniques and apparatus described herein may be incorporated into any application where intense, uniform illumination is desired, such as pulsed laser annealing, welding, ablating, and wafer stepper illuminating.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a crystalline semiconductor layer on a substrate are provided. A semiconductor layer is formed by vapor deposition. A pulsed laser melt/recrystallization process is performed to convert the semiconductor layer to a crystalline layer. Laser, or other electromagnetic radiation, pulses are formed into a pulse train and uniformly distributed over a treatment zone, and successive neighboring treatment zones are exposed to the pulse train to progressively convert the deposited material to crystalline material.

Abstract: The present invention generally describes apparatuses and methods used to perform an annealing process on desired regions of a substrate. In one embodiment, pulses of electromagnetic energy are delivered to a substrate using a flash lamp or laser apparatus. The pulses may be from about 1 nsec to about 10 msec long, and each pulse has less energy than that required to melt the substrate material. The interval between pulses is generally long enough to allow the energy imparted by each pulse to dissipate completely. Thus, each pulse completes a micro-anneal cycle. The pulses may be delivered to the entire substrate at once, or to portions of the substrate at a time. Further embodiments provide an apparatus for powering a radiation assembly, and apparatuses for detecting the effect of pulses on a substrate.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for radiation processing of semiconductor substrates using microwave or millimeter wave energy are provided. The microwave or millimeter wave energy may have a frequency between about 600 MHz and about 1 THz. Alternating current from a magnetron is coupled to a leaky microwave emitter that has an inner conductor and an outer conductor, the outer conductor having openings with a dimension smaller than a wavelength of the emitted radiation. The inner and outer conductors are separated by an insulating material. Interference patterns produced by the microwave emissions may be uniformized by phase modulating the power to the emitter and/or by frequency modulating the frequency of the power itself. Power from a single generator may be divided to two or more emitters by a power divider.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for decorrelating coherent light from a light source, such as a pulsed laser, in both time and space in an effort to provide intense and uniform illumination are provided. For some embodiments employing a pulsed light source, the output pulse may be stretched relative to the input pulse width. The methods and apparatus described herein may be incorporated into any application where intense, uniform illumination is desired, such as pulsed laser annealing, welding, ablating, and wafer stepper illuminating.

Abstract: Device for processing a substrate are described herein. Devices can include a radiation source and an aperture positioned to receive radiant energy from the radiation source. The aperture can include one or more members, and one or more interfering areas, wherein the interfering areas surround a transmissive area. The one or more structures can affect transmission of radiant energy through a portion of the transmissive area of the aperture. Structures disposed on the aperture can reduce or redirect transmission to provide for more uniform overall transmission of radiant energy through the aperture.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for magneto-thermal processing of substrates comprises a work surface for supporting a substrate for processing, a source of electromagnetic radiation that delivers an intense electromagnetic field to an area of a substrate disposed on the work surface, and a magnetic assembly that delivers a magnetic field to the area of the substrate. The intense electromagnetic field typically has an energy density of at least about 0.2 J/cm2 and a cross-sectional area typically not more than about 10 cm2. The magnetic field typically has a strength at least about 0.5 T and an area not more than about 10 cm2.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to an optical system that is able to reliably deliver a uniform amount of energy across an anneal region contained on a surface of a substrate. The optical system is adapted to deliver, or project, a uniform amount of energy having a desired two-dimensional shape on a desired region on the surface of the substrate. An energy source for the optical system is typically a plurality of lasers, which are combined to form the energy field.

Abstract: Methods used to perform an annealing process on desired regions of a substrate are disclosed. In one embodiment, an amount of energy is delivered to the surface of the substrate to preferentially melt certain desired regions of the substrate to remove unwanted damage created from prior processing steps (e.g., crystal damage from implant processes), more evenly distribute dopants in various regions of the substrate, and/or activate various regions of the substrate. The preferential melting processes will allow more uniform distribution of the dopants in the melted region, due to the increased diffusion rate and solubility of the dopant atoms in the molten region of the substrate. The creation of a melted region thus allows: 1) the dopant atoms to redistribute more uniformly, 2) defects created in prior processing steps to be removed, and 3) regions that have hyper-abrupt dopant concentrations to be formed.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for combining beams of amplified radiation are disclosed. A beam combiner has a collimating optic positioned to receive a plurality of coherent radiation beams at a constant angle of incidence with respect to an optical axis of the collimating optic. The respective angles of incidence may also be different in some embodiments. The collimating optic has an optical property that collimates the beams. The optical property may be refractive or reflective, or a combination thereof. A collecting optic may also be provided to direct the plurality of beams to the collimating optic. The beam combiner may be used in a thermal processing apparatus to combine more than two beams of coherent amplified radiation, such as lasers, into a single beam.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for decorrelating coherent light from a light source, such as a pulsed laser, in both time and space in an effort to provide intense and uniform illumination are provided. The techniques and apparatus described herein may be incorporated into any application where intense, uniform illumination is desired, such as pulsed laser annealing, welding, ablating, and wafer stepper illuminating.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a crystalline semiconductor layer on a substrate are provided. A semiconductor layer is formed by vapor deposition. A pulsed laser melt/recrystallization process is performed to convert the semiconductor layer to a crystalline layer. Laser, or other electromagnetic radiation, pulses are formed into a pulse train and uniformly distributed over a treatment zone, and successive neighboring treatment zones are exposed to the pulse train to progressively convert the deposited material to crystalline material.

Abstract: A laser that emits light at all available frequencies distributed throughout the spectral bandwidth or emission bandwidth of the laser in a single pulse or pulse train is disclosed. The laser is pumped or seeded with photons having frequencies distributed throughout the superunitary gain bandwidth of the gain medium. The source of photons is a frequency modulated photon source, and the frequency modulation is controlled to occur in one or more cycles timed to occur within a time scale for pulsing the laser.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to apparatus for and methods of measuring and monitoring the temperature of a substrate having a 3D feature thereon. The apparatus include a light source for irradiating a substrate having a 3D feature thereon, a focus lens for gathering and focusing reflected light, and an emissometer for detecting the emissivity of the focused reflected light. The apparatus may also include a beam splitter and an imaging device. The imaging device provides a magnified image of the diffraction pattern of the reflected light. The method includes irradiating a substrate having a 3D feature thereon with light, and focusing reflected light with a focusing lens. The focused light is then directed to a sensor and the emissivity of the substrate is measured. The reflected light may also impinge upon an imaging device to generate a magnified image of the diffraction pattern of the reflected light.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods of thermally processing semiconductor substrates are disclosed. Aspects of the apparatus include a source of intense radiation and a rotating energy distributor that distributes the intense radiation to a rectifier. The rectifier directs the radiation toward the substrate. Aspects of the method include using a rotating energy distributor to distribute pulsed energy to a substrate for processing. The rotational rate of the energy distributor is set based on the pulse repetition rate of the energy source. A substrate may be continuously translated with respect to the energy distributor at a rate set based on the pulse repetition rate of the energy source.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing magnetic storage media is provided. A structural substrate is coated with a magnetically active material, and a magnetic pattern is formed in the magnetically active material by treating portions of the material with energy from a laser, e-beam, or focused ion beam. The beam may be divided into a packet of beamlets by passing the beam through a divider, which may be a diffraction grating for laser energy, a thin film single crystal for electrons, or a perforated plate for ions, or the beam may be generated by an array of emitters. The beamlets are then focused to a desired dimension and distribution by optics or electric fields. The resulting beam packet may be shaped further by passing through an aperture of any desired shape. The resulting beam may be applied sequentially to exposure zones to treat an entire substrate or plurality of substrates.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide apparatus and methods for processing semiconductor substrates with uniform laser energy. A laser pulse or beam is directed to a spatial homogenizer, which may be a plurality of lenses arranged along a plane perpendicular to the optical path of the laser energy, an example being a microlens array. The spatially uniformized energy produced by the spatial homogenizer is then directed to a refractive medium that has a plurality of thicknesses. Each thickness of the plurality of thicknesses is different from the other thicknesses by at least the coherence length of the laser energy.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention pertain to substrate processing equipment and methods incorporating light emitting diodes (LEDs) for thermally processing substrates. Such light sources offer a variety of advantages including higher efficiency and more rapid response times. Pulse widths are selectable down to under a millisecond but can be for long pulses up to and exceeding a second. LEDs are preferable to tungsten-halogen lamps even in circumstances that allow longer processing times, since LEDs produce light with greater than 50% efficiency and tungsten-halogen lamps operate with less than 5% efficiency.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a thermal processing apparatus and method that permits a user to index one or more preselected light sources capable of emitting one or more wavelengths to a collimator. Multiple light sources may permit a single apparatus to have the capability of emitting multiple, preselected wavelengths. The multiple light sources permit the user to utilize multiple wavelengths simultaneously to approximate “white light”. One or more of a frequency, intensity, and time of exposure may be selected for the wavelength to be emitted. Thus, the capabilities of the apparatus and method are flexible to meet the needs of the user.