Thermal reactor optimization
AssigneeRelman, Inc.
InventorsSunil C. Shah, Pradeep Pandey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for controlling a thermal reactor is disclosed that characterizes the thermal reactor with a reactor model that indicates behavior of the thermal reactor and of a load contained in the thermal reactor and that accounts for interaction among a set of heating zones of the thermal reactor. An online reactor model is then determined that estimates the thermal behavior of the load based upon an online input power to the thermal reactor and upon an online temperature indication from the thermal reactor. A time varying temperature and reactant flow recipe is determined that minimizes end of run parameters on the load. A multi-variable controller is employed to minimize temperature deviations of the load from a predetermined temperature recipe or time varying trajectory.
Claims45
A method for controlling a hot wall thermal reactor, comprising the steps of:
- determining a reactor model that indicates a thermal behavior of the thermal reactor and a thermal behavior of a load contained in the thermal reactor wherein the load is identified by a plurality of nodes and the reactor model accounts for interaction among a set of heating zones of the thermal reactor;
- determining an online reactor model from the reactor model, wherein the online reactor model estimates the thermal behavior of the load nodes based upon an online input power to the thermal reactor and upon an online temperature indication from the thermal reactor;
- determining a multivariable controller from the online reactor model, wherein the multivariable controller minimizes temperature deviations of the load from a predetermined temperature recipe.
A thermal reactor system, comprising:
- a thermal reactor containing a load that is identified by a plurality of nodes wherein the thermal reactor comprises a set of heating zones and a set of corresponding spike and profile thermocouples;
- a reactor controller comprising an online reactor model that estimates the thermal behavior of each node location of the load based upon an online input power to the thermal reactor and upon an online temperature indication from the thermal reactor wherein the online reactor model is determined from a reactor model that indicates a thermal behavior of the thermal reactor and a thermal behavior of each node location of the load and that accounts for interaction among the heating zones, the reactor controller further comprising a multivariable controller determined from the online reactor model, wherein the multivariable controller minimizes temperature deviations of the load from a predetermined temperature recipe.
A method for controlling a hot wall thermal reactor containing a load, comprising the steps of:
- creating a set of reactor power test signals that exercise high bandwidth and low bandwidth thermal dynamics of the thermal reactor and the load;
- applying the test signals to the thermal reactor while capturing a synchronous thermal response of the thermal reactor and a synchronous thermal response of the load to the reactor power test signals;
- determining a set of high order model parameters wherein the high order model parameters relate the reactor power test signals and the synchronous thermal response of the thermal reactor to the synchronous thermal response of the load;
- determining an online reactor model from the set of reactor model parameters, wherein the online reactor model estimates the thermal behavior of the load based upon an online input power to the thermal reactor and upon an online temperature indication from the thermal reactor;
- and
- determining a multivariable controller from the online reactor model, wherein the multivariable controller minimizes temperature deviations of the load from a predetermined temperature recipe.
A method for controlling a thermal reactor containing a load, comprising the steps of:
- creating a set of reactor power test signals;
- applying the test signals to the thermal reactor while capturing a thermal response of the thermal reactor and a thermal response of the load to the reactor power test signals;
- determining a set of parameters wherein the parameters relate the reactor power test signals and the thermal response of the thermal reactor to the thermal response of the load;
- and
- determining an online reactor model from the set of parameters, wherein the online reactor model estimates the thermal behavior of the load based upon an online input power to the thermal reactor and upon an online temperature indication from the thermal reactor.
A method of determining the thermal response of a furnace, said method comprising the steps of:
- applying power signals to the furnace while recording the thermal response of the furnace over time and recording the thermal response of a load within the furnace over time;
- determining a set of model parameters wherein the parameters relate the power signals and the thermal response of the furnace to the thermal response of the load;
- and
- determining a furnace model from the set of model parameters, wherein the furnace model estimates the thermal behavior of the load based upon an input power to the furnace and upon an online temperature indication from the furnace.
A method of fabricating a semiconductor comprising the steps of:
- providing a load in a chamber wherein the load includes a plurality of substrates;
- producing a thermal model of the load wherein each substrate is identified by a plurality of nodes;
- and
- varying the temperature of each node in accordance with a process recipe while growing a film on said substrates such that variations in a set of end run physical parameters is minimized at each node location.
A method of fabricating a semiconductor comprising the steps of:
- providing a load in a chamber wherein the load includes a plurality of substrates;
- producing a thermal model of the load wherein each of the substrates is identified by a plurality of nodes;
- and
- varying the temperature of each node in accordance with a process recipe that is computed from the thermal model and a deposition model while depositing a film on each of said nodes such that variations in a set of end run physical parameters is minimized at each node location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.