Thermal processing system with supplemental resistive heater and shielded optical pyrometry
Granted: March 13, 2001
Patent Number:
6200634
System and method for determining thermal characteristics, such as temperature, temperature uniformity and emissivity, during thermal processing using shielded pyrometry. The surface of a semiconductor substrate is shielded to prevent interference from extrinsic light from radiant heating sources and to form an effective black-body cavity. An optical sensor is positioned to sense emitted light in the cavity for pyrometry. The effective emissivity of the cavity approaches unity…
System and method for rapid thermal processing with transitional heater
Granted: March 6, 2001
Patent Number:
6198074
A system and method for thermally processing a substrate. A substrate is heated to a processing temperature at which the substrate is susceptible to plastic deformation or slip. An insulating cover may be removed to initially cool the substrate below such temperature before removal from the system. Gas pressure may also be adjusted to enhance heat transfer during processing and decrease heat transfer prior to removal of the substrate. Susceptors or surfaces for cooling the substrate may…
System and method for thermal processing of a semiconductor substrate
Granted: January 9, 2001
Patent Number:
6172337
A semiconductor substrate processing system and method using a stable heating source with a large thermal mass relative to conventional lamp heated systems. The system dimensions and processing parameters are selected to provide a substantial heat flux to the wafer while minimizing heat loss to the surrounding environment (particularly from the edges of the heat source and wafer). The heat source provides a wafer temperature uniformity profile that has a low variance across temperature…
Model based method for wafer temperature control in a thermal processing system for semiconductor manufacturing
Granted: January 2, 2001
Patent Number:
6169271
A method for controlling wafer temperature in a thermal reactor. A wafer is positioned between two or more surfaces, one or more of which are heated. A control temperature is calculated based on the temperatures of the surfaces. The heat applied to the surface(s) is adjusted in response to the control temperature in order to maintain the wafer temperature within narrowly defined limits.
Inductive plasma reactor
Granted: November 7, 2000
Patent Number:
6143129
A plasma reactor and methods for processing semiconductor wafers are described. Gases are introduced into a reactor chamber. An induction coil surrounds the reactor chamber. RF power is applied to the induction coil and is inductively coupled into the reactor chamber causing a plasma to form. A split Faraday shield is interposed between the induction coil and the reactor chamber to substantially block the capacitive coupling of energy into the reactor chamber which may modulate the…
Method and apparatus for thermal processing of semiconductor substrates
Granted: October 17, 2000
Patent Number:
6133550
An improved apparatus and method for thermal processing of semiconductor wafers. The apparatus and method provide the temperature stability and uniformity of a conventional batch furnace as well as the processing speed and reduced time-at-temperature of a lamp-heated rapid thermal processor (RTP). Individual wafers are rapidly inserted into and withdrawn from a furnace cavity held at a nearly constant and isothermal temperature. The speeds of insertion and withdrawal are sufficiently…
Susceptor hold-down mechanism
Granted: September 12, 2000
Patent Number:
6118100
A structure and method for holding a susceptor in a single-wafer RF heated CVD reactor allows the center portion of the susceptor to be heated and prevents susceptor and reactor damage due to overdriving and the susceptor from losing contact with a rotatable rod during thermal expansion. A plug, located on the bottom surface of the susceptor, heated by RF energy subsequently heats the center portion of the susceptor, thereby providing constant temperature gradients across the susceptor.…
System and method for thermal processing of a semiconductor substrate
Granted: April 4, 2000
Patent Number:
6046439
A semiconductor substrate processing system and method using a stable heating source with a large thermal mass relative to conventional lamp heated systems. The system dimensions and processing parameters are selected to provide a substantial heat flux to the wafer while minimizing heat loss to the surrounding environment (particularly from the edges of the heat source and wafer). The heat source provides a wafer temperature uniformity profile that has a low variance across temperature…
System and method for thermal processing of a semiconductor substrate
Granted: March 28, 2000
Patent Number:
6043460
A semiconductor substrate processing system and method using a stable heating source with a large thermal mass relative to conventional lamp heated systems. The system dimensions and processing parameters are selected to provide a substantial heat flux to the wafer while minimizing heat loss to the surrounding environment (particularly from the edges of the heat source and wafer). The heat source provides a wafer temperature uniformity profile that has a low variance across temperature…
System and method for thermal processing of a semiconductor substrate
Granted: December 14, 1999
Patent Number:
6002109
A semiconductor substrate processing system and method using a stable heating source with a large thermal mass relative to conventional lamp heated systems. The system dimensions and processing parameters are selected to provide a substantial heat flux to the wafer while minimizing heat loss to the surrounding environment (particularly from the edges of the heat source and wafer). The heat source provides a wafer temperature uniformity profile that has a low variance across temperature…
Apparatus and method for pulsed plasma processing of a semiconductor substrate
Granted: November 16, 1999
Patent Number:
5983828
Apparatus and method for an improved etch process. A power source alternates between high and low power cycles to produce and sustain a plasma discharge. Preferably, the high power cycles couple sufficient power into the plasma to produce a high density of ions (>10.sup.11 cm.sup.-3) for etching. Preferably, the low power cycles allow electrons to cool off to reduce the average random (thermal) electron velocity in the plasma. Preferably, the low power cycle is limited in duration as…
Method of cleaning wafer substrates
Granted: October 19, 1999
Patent Number:
5968279
The silicon surface of a wafer is cleaned at room temperature in a separate pre-clean chamber prior to epitaxial deposition. Fluorine atoms generated, for example, from NF.sub.3 gas, enter the pre-clean chamber, contact the silicon surface, and etch away native oxide, contaminated silicon, and other damage incurred from prior wafer processes. The cleaned wafer is then transferred in an oxygen-free environment to a deposition chamber, for epitaxial deposition. By cleaning at reduced…
ICP reactor having a conically-shaped plasma-generating section
Granted: October 12, 1999
Patent Number:
5964949
Disclosed is an inductively-coupled plasma reactor that is useful for anisotropic or isotropic etching of a substrate, or chemical vapor deposition of a material onto a substrate. The reactor has a plasma-generation chamber with a conically-shaped plasma-generating portion and coils that are arranged around the plasma-generating portion in a conical spiral. The chamber and coil may be configured to produce a highly uniform plasma potential across the entire surface of the substrate to…
Thermal processing system with supplemental resistive heater and shielded optical pyrometry
Granted: November 3, 1998
Patent Number:
5830277
System and method for determining thermal characteristics, such as temperature, temperature uniformity and emissivity, during thermal processing using shielded pyrometry. The surface of a semiconductor substrate is shielded to prevent interference from extrinsic light from radiant heating sources and to form an effective black-body cavity. An optical sensor is positioned to sense emitted light in the cavity for pyrometry. The effective emissivity of the cavity approaches unity…
Hydrocarbon-enhanced dry stripping of photoresist
Granted: October 20, 1998
Patent Number:
5824604
Means for increasing the selectivity of photoresist stripping to oxide etching are disclosed. A plasma of an oxidizing gas, a fluoride-containing compound, and a hydrocarbon contains reactive species that preferentially strip photoresist from a substrate with little etching of oxide on the substrate's surface when the reactive species contact the substrate. The reactor, compositions, and methods disclosed are particularly useful in processes for etching silicon wafers to form…
Inductive plasma reactor
Granted: September 22, 1998
Patent Number:
5811022
A plasma reactor and methods for processing semiconductor wafers are described. Gases are introduced into a reactor chamber. An induction coil surrounds the reactor chamber. RF power is applied to the induction coil and is inductively coupled into the reactor chamber causing a plasma to form. A split Faraday shield is interposed between the induction coil and the reactor chamber to substantially block the capacitive coupling of energy into the reactor chamber which may modulate the…
Low frequency inductive RF plasma reactor
Granted: July 9, 1996
Patent Number:
5534231
A plasma reactor with rf power inductively coupled into the reactor chamber to produce an rf magnetic field substantially perpendicular to a pedestal on which a wafer is placed for processing. Said pedestal is a powered electrode to which power is coupled to control the sheath voltage of the pedestal. This reactor is particularly suitable for soft etches and processes in which it is advantageous to couple much more power into ion production than into free radical production.
