Systems and methods for microwave-radiation annealing

A system for annealing a semiconductor structure using microwave radiation, the system comprising:

• one or more data processors;
• and
• a computer-readable memory encoded with programming instructions for commanding the one or more data processors to perform operations including:
• applying microwave radiation to one or more energy-converting materials and a semiconductor structure to anneal the semiconductor structure for fabricating semiconductor devices, the one or more energy-converting materials being capable of increasing the semiconductor structure's absorption of the microwave radiation;
• detecting first local temperatures associated with one or more first zones of the semiconductor structure;
• detecting second local temperatures associated with one or more second zones of the semiconductor structure;
• and
• adjusting the microwave radiation applied to the energy-converting materials and the semiconductor structure based at least in part on the detected first and second local temperatures.

A method for annealing a semiconductor structure using microwave radiation, the method comprising:

• applying microwave radiation to one or more energy-converting materials and a semiconductor structure using a controller, the one or more energy-converting materials being capable of increasing the semiconductor structure's absorption of microwave radiation;
• detecting first local temperatures associated with one or more first zones of the semiconductor structure using one or more thermal detectors, the one or more first zones being disposed in a top portion of the semiconductor structure;
• detecting second local temperatures associated with one or more second zones of the semiconductor structure using the one or more thermal detectors, the one or more second zones being disposed in a bottom portion of the semiconductor structure;
• and
• adjusting the microwave radiation applied to the energy-converting materials and the semiconductor structure using the controller, wherein the microwave radiation is adjusted based at least in part on the first local temperatures and the second local temperatures that are detected by the one or more first thermal detectors.