Nitrogen injection for arc lamps
AssigneesMattson Technology, Inc., Beijing E-Town Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd.
InventorsRolf Bremensdorfer, Dave Camm, Pete Lembesis, Joseph Cibere
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for reducing contamination of one or more arc lamps are provided. One example implementation is directed to a millisecond anneal system. The millisecond anneal system includes a processing chamber for thermally treating a substrate using a millisecond anneal process. The system further includes one or more arc lamps. Each of the one or more arc lamps is coupled to a water loop for circulating water through the arc lamp during operation of the arc lamp. The system includes a reagent injection source configured to introduce a reagent, such as nitrogen gas, into water circulating through the arc lamp during operation of the arc lamp.
Claims11
A millisecond anneal system, comprising:
- a processing chamber for thermally treating a substrate using a millisecond anneal process;
- one or more arc lamps, each of the one or more are lamps coupled to a water loop for circulating water through the arc lamp during operation of the arc lamp;
- wherein the system comprises a nitrogen gas injection source configured to introduce nitrogen gas into water circulating through the arc lamp during operation of the arc lamp, the nitrogen gas injection source arranged in the water loop to introduce nitrogen into the water prior to the water entering the arc lamp;
- and
- wherein the water loop comprises an inlet for providing a plasma-generating gas to the one or more arc lamps, the plasma-generating gas being different from the nitrogen gas.
An arc lamp system, comprising:
- a plurality of electrodes;
- one or more inlets to an arc tube configured to receive water from a water loop to be circulated through the arc lamp during operation, the one of the one or more inlets configured to receive a gas, wherein during operation of the arc lamp, the gas is converted into a plasma during an arc discharge between the plurality of electrodes;
- wherein the water loop comprises a reagent injection source for introducing a reagent into the water prior to the water entering the arc lamp during operation to reduce a deposit of contaminants on the arc lamp;
- and
- wherein the water loop comprises an inlet for providing a plasma-generating gas to the arc lamp, the plasma-generating gas being different from the reagent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.