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

摘要

A system and a method for thermally processing a semiconductor substrate are disclosed which provide a heater chamber and a process chamber environmentally isolated from one another by a thermally-transparent plate. A heater assembly situated within the heater chamber comprises one or more quasi-continuous heater elements, and is operable to linearly translate with respect to the process chamber by a linear translation assembly. Thermal radiation is transmitted from the heater elements through the plate toward a substrate situated within the process chamber, wherein one or more temperature sensors measure a temperature associated with one or more respective locations on the substrate. A controller coupled to the one or more temperature sensors, heater assembly, and linear translation assembly controls the thermal radiation emitted by the heater assembly, as well as a distance between the heater assembly and the substrate, wherein the control is based on the one or more measured temperatures.