US 5,951,896 A · Rapid thermal processing heater technology and method of use

Abstract

A heating assembly for heating semiconductor substrates includes a plurality of heating devices, with each heating device including an energy emitting filament adapted for electrically coupling to an external power supply and housed in a first enclosure. The first enclosure comprises energy transmitting material so that energy generated by the filament will be transmitted through the enclosure. A second enclosure houses the first enclosure, which also comprises energy transmitting material. The second enclosure is coated with a reflective layer and is housed in a third enclosure of transmitting material, which encapsulates the reflective coating so that when the energy emitting filament is energized, the reflective coating is contained in the heating device. A heating assembly includes a frame having a plurality of supports for supporting a plurality of the heating devices. The heating devices are arranged in at least two heating zones, a first of the heating zones for heating a peripheral region of the semiconductor substrate and a second of the heating zones heating central regions of the semiconductor substrate. A first group of heating devices forming the first heating zone are spaced a first distance from the substrate. A second group of heating devices forming the second heating zone are spaced a second distance from the substrate wherein the first distance is less than the second distance so that more energy is directed to the peripheral regions of the substrate that the central regions.

Claims52

Dependent claims

A heating device comprising:

an energy emitting filament adapted for electrically coupling to an external power supply, said energy emitting filament having cold end zones and a hot zone extending between said cold end zones;
a first enclosure housing said heating element, said first enclosure being comprised of energy transmitting material;
a second enclosure housing said first enclosure, said second enclosure being comprised of energy transmitting material;
a reflective coating on an outer surface of said second enclosure and extending around at least a portion of said energy emitting filament and over at least said hot zone for reflecting the energy generated by said energy emitting filament when said energy emitting filament is energized by the external power supply;
and
a third enclosure housing said second enclosure, said third enclosure being comprised of energy transmitting material and encapsulating said reflective coating so that when said energy emitting filament is energized, particles comprising said reflective coating are contained in said heating device, said reflective coating reflecting the energy generated by said energy emitting filament through said third enclosure and directing said energy in an angle of focus.

3 more elements

A heating device for heating a target, said heating device comprising:

a first cylindrical tubular member having closed ends and a cylindrical wall extending between said closed ends, said first tubular member being comprised of energy transmitting material;
an energy emitting filament supported in said first cylindrical tubular member and extending between said closed ends, said energy emitting filament adapted for coupling to an external power source, said energy emitting filament including cold zones and a hot zone extending between said cold zones;
a second cylindrical tubular member housing and enclosing said first cylindrical tubular member, said second cylindrical tubular member having a cylindrical wall and being comprised of energy transmitting material, and an outer surface of said cylindrical wall including a reflective layer extending around at least a portion of said energy emitting filament and over at least said hot zone for reflecting energy generated by said energy emitting filament outwardly from said second cylindrical tubular member;
and
a third cylindrical tubular member enclosing said second cylindrical tubular member, said third cylindrical tubular member being comprised of energy transmitting material and extending over said reflective layer, said third cylindrical tubular member being welded to said second cylindrical wall and encapsulating said reflective layer so that when said energy emitting filament is energized, particles comprising said reflective layer are contained in said heating device.

2 more elements

A heating assembly for heating a semiconductor substrate supported on a first side of the substrate, said heating assembly comprising:

a plurality of heater supports;
and
a plurality of cylindrical heating lamps supported on said heater supports, each of said cylindrical heating lamps having a longitudinal extent, said longitudinal extents of said first group of heating lamps being generally parallel with a second opposed side of the semiconductor substrate and being positioned at a first spacing from the second opposed side of the semiconductor substrate and aligned over a perimeter region of the substrate to heat the perimeter region of the semiconductor substrate, said first group of heating lamps defining a first heating zone, a second group of cylindrical heating lamps positioned by said heater supports at a second spacing from the second opposed side of the semiconductor substrate and positioned to extend across the substrate to heat a central region of the semiconductor substrate, said second group defining a second heating zone, and wherein said first spacing is less than said second spacing to create a varying temperature profile which is applied to the second side of the substrate.

A method of heating a semiconductor substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

supporting a first group of heating lamps in a first arrangement to form a first heating zone, each of the heating lamps of the first group having a heating element aligned along a longitudinal extent;
positioning the longitudinal extents of the first group of heating lamps generally parallel with a first side of a semiconductor substrate and aligning the first group of heating lamps over a peripheral region of the substrate to heat the peripheral region of the semiconductor substrate;
supporting a second group of heating lamps in a second arrangement to form a second heating zone, each of the heating lamps of the second group having a heating element aligned along a longitudinal extent;
positioning the longitudinal extents of the second group of heating lamps generally parallel with the first side of the semiconductor substrate and aligning the second group of heating lamps over at least a central region of the substrate to heat the central region of the semiconductor substrate;
spacing the first group of heating lamps a first distance from the first side of the semiconductor substrate;
spacing the second group of heating lamps a second distance from the first side of the semiconductor substrate, the first distance being less than the second distance;
and
applying heat to said semiconductor substrate with said first group of said heating lamps and said second group of heating lamps whereby more heat is directed to the peripheral regions than the central regions of the semiconductor substrate.

5 more elements

A method of heating a semiconductor substrate, said method of heating comprising:

providing a plurality of heating elements, each of the heating elements comprising:
an energy emitting filament adapted for electrically coupling to an external power supply, said energy emitting filament including cold end zones and a hot zone extending between said cold end zones;
a first enclosure housing said heating element, said first enclosure being comprised of energy transmitting material;
a second enclosure housing said first enclosure, said second enclosure being comprised of energy transmitting material;
a reflective coating on an outer surface of said second enclosure for reflecting the energy generated by the filament outwardly from the heating element when the filament is energized by the external power supply said reflective coating extending around at least a portion of said energy emitting filament and over at least said hot zone;
and
a third enclosure housing said second enclosure, said third enclosure being comprised of energy transmitting material and encapsulating said reflective coating so that when said energy emitting filament is energized, particles comprising said reflective coating are contained in said heating device;
arranging a first group of said heating elements over a peripheral region of the semiconductor substrate;
arranging a second group of the heating elements over a central region of the semiconductor substrate, and applying a varying heat temperature profile to the semiconductor substrate with the heating elements to achieve a uniform substrate temperature.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Rapid thermal processing heater technology and method of use

Life of this patent

Rapid thermal processing heater technology and method of use

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims52