Optical cavity furnace for semiconductor wafer processing

An optical cavity furnace comprising:

• multiple optical energy sources;
• one or more reflectors comprising a diffusely reflective surface associated with the optical energy sources;
• one or more walls comprising a diffusely reflective surface associated with the optical energy sources wherein the walls and reflectors define an optical cavity and the optical energy sources are associated with the optical cavity;
• a semiconductor wafer transport system for transporting a semiconductor wafer through the optical cavity;
• a transport rate controller operatively associated with the semiconductor wafer transport system providing for the transportation of the semiconductor wafer through the optical cavity at a variable rate;
• and
• a power input controller providing for the independent control of input power to more than one but less than all of the multiple optical energy sources, wherein the power input controller and the transport rate controller provide for control of a flux presented at a surface of the wafer which the flux is controlled to vary over time.