High temperature annealing of semiconductor substrates
OwnerChristopher Lane, Tapani Laaksonen +3inventors
InventorsChristopher Lane, Tapani Laaksonen, Alan Lee Stone, Vladimir Kudriavtsev, M Ziaul Karim
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Abstract
An annealing system for semiconductor substrates includes a process chamber with multiple angularly arranged zones. A carrier rotates substrates between a first and second zone. An induction heater in the first zone heats the substrate, while a heat shield above the substrate, composed of thermally insulating material, controls temperature. The shield has a crown and rim, with one or more resistive heaters to adjust the rim's temperature relative to the temperature of the crown for improving uniformity of substrate temperature.
Claims22
An annealing system for a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
- a process chamber having a central axis and multiple process zones angularly spaced apart from each other about the central axis, wherein the multiple process zones include a first process zone and a second process zone;
- a carrier positioned in the process chamber, wherein the carrier is configured to support the substrate and rotate about the central axis to transport the substrate from the first process zone to the second process zone;
- an induction heater located in the first processing zone of the process chamber, wherein the induction heater is positioned below the carrier and configured to heat the substrate positioned in the first process zone;
- a heat shield including at least one layer of a thermally insulating material disposed above the substrate positioned in the first process zone, wherein the heat shield includes a crown portion and a rim portion extending around a periphery of the crown portion;
- and
- a resistive heater coupled to the heat shield to vary a temperature of the rim portion relative to a temperature of the crown portion.
An annealing system for semiconductor substrates, comprising:
- a process chamber;
- a first carrier positioned in the process chamber, wherein the first carrier includes a first cavity configured to support a first substrate such that a bottom surface of the first substrate is exposed through the first cavity;
- a second carrier positioned in the process chamber, wherein the second carrier includes a second cavity configured to support a second substrate such that a bottom surface of the second substrate is exposed through the second cavity;
- an induction heater disposed below the first carrier and above the second carrier such that the bottom surface of the first substrate that is exposed through the first cavity is positioned above the induction heater and a top surface of the second substrate is positioned below the induction heater;
- a first heat shield including at least one layer of a thermally insulating material disposed above the first carrier such that a top surface of the first substrate is positioned below the first heat shield;
- and
- a second heat shield including at least one layer of a thermally insulating material disposed below the second carrier such that the bottom surface of the second substrate exposed through the second cavity is positioned above the second heat shield.
An annealing system for a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
- a process chamber having a central axis and multiple process zones angularly spaced apart from each other about the central axis, wherein the multiple process zones include a first process zone and a second process zone;
- a carrier positioned in the process chamber, wherein the carrier is configured to (i) support a vertical stack of a plurality of substrates and (ii) rotate about the central axis to transport the vertical stack from the first process zone to the second process zone;
- an induction heater located in the first process zone of the process chamber, wherein the induction heater is positioned below the carrier and configured to heat the substrate positioned in the first process zone;
- and
- a heat shield including at least one layer of a thermally insulating material disposed above the substrate positioned in the first process zone, wherein the heat shield includes a crown portion and a rim portion extending around a periphery of the crown portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.