Advanced rapid thermal processing (RTP) using a linearly-moving heating assembly with an axisymmetric and radially-tunable thermal radiation profile

摘要

The present invention is directed to a semiconductor thermal processing system and a method for thermally processing a semiconductor substrate. According to one aspect of the present invention, a semiconductor thermal processing system and associated method is disclosed which provides a heater chamber and a process chamber, wherein the heater chamber and process chamber are environmentally isolated from one another by a thermally-transparent plate. A heater assembly comprising one or more quasi-continuous heater elements is situated in the heater chamber, whereby a linear translation assembly is operable to linearly translate the heater assembly with respect to the process chamber. A power supply is operable to provide electric current to the one or more heater elements, thereby emitting thermal radiation that transmits through the thermally-transparent plate toward a substrate situated within the process chamber. One or more temperature sensors are operable to measure one or more temperatures associated with one or more respective locations on the substrate. A controller operably coupled to the heater assembly, linear translation assembly, and the one or more temperature sensors is operable to control the thermal radiation emitted by the one or more heater elements, as well as a distance between the heater assembly and the substrate. The control is based, at least in part, on the one or more measured temperatures.