Methods and apparatuses for heating semiconductor wafers

A method of heating a semiconductor wafer, comprising:

• heating the wafer in a loading enclosure of a heat treatment system to a temperature above an ambient temperature external to the loading enclosure;
• wherein heating the wafer includes heating a flow of purge gas above the ambient temperature and introducing the flow of heated purge gas into the loading enclosure while the wafer is in the loading enclosure;
• and
• moving the heated wafer from the loading enclosure into a processing enclosure of the heat treatment system.

A method of heating a semiconductor wafer, comprising:

• heating the wafer in a loading enclosure of a heat treatment system to a temperature above an ambient temperature external to the loading enclosure;
• wherein heating the wafer includes heating a flow of purge gas above the ambient temperature and introducing the flow of heated purge gas into the loading enclosure while the wafer is in the loading enclosure;
• moving the heated wafer from the loading enclosure into a processing enclosure of the heat treatment system;
• heating the wafer in the processing enclosure to a predetermined processing temperature by heating a flow of at least one process gas to a temperature equal to or greater than the processing temperature, and
• introducing the flow of heated process gas into the processing enclosure while the wafer is in the processing enclosure.

A method of heating a semiconductor wafer, comprising:

• moving the wafer at a first temperature into a loading enclosure of a heat treatment system;
• heating the wafer to a second temperature greater than the first temperature while the wafer is in the loading enclosure, wherein heating the wafer includes introducing a heated purge gas at or above the second temperature into the loading enclosure while the wafer is in the loading enclosure;
• reducing a pressure in the loading enclosure to be below atmospheric pressure;
• and
• moving the wafer from the loading enclosure to a processing enclosure having a processing pressure reduced below atmospheric pressure.

A heat treatment system for semiconductor wafers, comprising:

• a loading enclosure positioned to receive at least one wafer at a first temperature;
• a processing enclosure positioned proximate to the loading enclosure, the processing enclosure being heatable to a second temperature higher than the first temperature;
• a wafer motion path between the loading enclosure and the processing enclosure;
• a purge gas supply coupled to the loading enclosure to introduce a purge gas into the loading enclosure at a third temperature higher than the first temperature;
• a purge gas line connecting the purge gas supply to the loading enclosure;
• a purge gas heat source positioned in-line with the purge gas line;
• a thermal sensor positioned in-line with the purge gas line downstream from the purge gas heat source;
• and
• a controller operably coupled to the thermal sensor and the purge gas heat source and programmed with instructions to control the heating of the purge gas to be at the third temperature.

A heat treatment system for semiconductor wafers, comprising:

• a loading enclosure positioned to receive at least one wafer at a first temperature;
• a processing enclosure positioned proximate to the loading enclosure, the processing enclosure being heatable to a second temperature higher than the first temperature;
• a wafer motion path between the loading enclosure and the processing enclosure;
• a purge gas supply coupled to the loading enclosure to introduce a purge gas into the loading enclosure at a third temperature higher than the first temperature;
• a purge gas line connecting the purge gas supply to the loading enclosure;
• and
• a heat source coupled to the purge gas supply to heat the purge gas to or above the third temperature in the purge gas supply before the purge gas is introduced into the purge gas line.