Photo-assisted method for semiconductor fabrication

Abstract

The present invention provides a processing system comprising a remote plasma activation region for formation of active gas species, a transparent transfer tube coupled between the remote activation region and a semiconductor processing chamber, and a source of photo-energy for maintaining activation of the active species or providing photo-energy for a non-plasma species during transfer through the transparent tube to the processing chamber. The source of photo-energy preferably includes an array of UV lamps. Additional UV lamps may also be used to further sustain active species and assist processes by providing additional in-situ energy through a transparent window of the processing chamber. The system can be utilized for processes such as layer-by-layer annealing and deposition and also removal of contaminants from deposited layers.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.