Lamp infrared radiation profile control by lamp filament design and positioning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11057963-B2
Application number	US-201816129879-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2018
Priority date	Oct 6, 2017
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

Methods and apparatus disclosed herein generally relate to lamp heating of process chambers used to process semiconductor substrates. More specifically, implementations disclosed herein relate to arrangement and control of lamps for heating of semiconductor substrates. In some implementations of the present disclosure, fine-tuning of temperature control is achieved by dividing different lamps within an array of lamps into various subgroups or lamp assemblies defined by a specific characteristic. These various subgroups may be based on characteristics such as lamp design and/or lamp positioning within the processing chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus operable to heat a substrate, comprising:
a first annular lamp array, comprising:
two or more lamp subgroups operable to provide radiant energy to heat a substrate, comprising:
a first lamp subgroup, comprising:
a first plurality of lamps, wherein each lamp of the first plurality of lamps comprises:
 a first envelope having a first end and a second end;
 a base coupled with the first end of the first envelope to support the first envelope; and
 a first filament positioned along a longitudinal axis extending from the first end of the first envelope to the second end of the first envelope, wherein each lamp of the first plurality of lamps has at least one characteristic of the following set of characteristics: the first filament has a first length, an end of the first filament is positioned a first distance from the first end of the first envelope, the first filament has a first number of coils, and the first envelope comprises a first opaque portion positioned a second distance from the first end of the first envelope; and
a first lamp driving circuit electrically coupled with and operable to control the first plurality of lamps in the first lamp subgroup; and

a second lamp subgroup, comprising:
a second plurality of lamps, wherein each lamp of the second plurality of lamps comprises:
 a second envelope having a first end and a second end;
 a base coupled with the first end of the second envelope to support the second envelope; and
 a second filament positioned along a longitudinal axis extending from the first end of the second envelope to the second end of the second envelope, wherein each lamp of the second plurality of lamps has at least one characteristic of the following set of characteristics: the second filament has a second length, the end of the second filament is positioned a third distance from the first end of the second envelope, the second filament has a second number of coils, and the second envelope comprises a second opaque portion positioned a fourth distance from the first end of the second envelope; and
a second lamp driving circuit electrically coupled with and operable to control the second plurality of lamps in the second lamp subgroup,
 wherein the first lamp driving circuit is independently controllable relative to the second lamp driving circuit, and
 wherein the at least one characteristic of the first lamp subgroup differs from the at least one characteristic of the second lamp subgroup.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second annular lamp array having a third plurality of lamps, wherein the second annular lamp array is concentric with the first annular lamp array.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first distance is greater than the third distance.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second distance is greater than the fourth distance.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first number of coils is greater than the second number of coils.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first length is greater than the second length.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal axis that passes through the first filament is angled relative to the longitudinal axis that extends from the first end of the first envelope to the second end of the first envelope and a longitudinal axis that passes through the second filament is parallel to the longitudinal axis that extends from the first end of the second envelope to the second end of the second envelope.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of lamps are wired in series and the second plurality of lamps are wired in series.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of lamps are wired in parallel and the second plurality of lamps are wired in parallel.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first envelope comprises the first opaque portion and the first opaque portion is an annular band disposed on the first envelope.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second envelope comprises the second opaque portion and the second opaque portion is an annular band disposed on the second envelope and the second distance is greater than the fourth distance.

12. An apparatus operable to heat a substrate, comprising:
a processing chamber, comprising:
a sidewall defining a processing region;
a first annular lamp array external to the processing region, comprising:
two or more lamp subgroups operable to provide radiant energy to heat a substrate when disposed in the processing region, comprising:
a first lamp subgroup, comprising:
 a first plurality of lamps, wherein each lamp of the first plurality of lamps comprises:
 a first envelope having a first end and a second end;
 a base coupled with the first end of the first envelope to support the first envelope; and
 a first filament positioned along a longitudinal axis extending from the first end of the first envelope to the second end of the first envelope, wherein each lamp of the first plurality of lamps has at least one characteristic of the following set of characteristics: the first filament has a first length, an end of the first filament is positioned a first distance from the first end of the first envelope, the first filament has a first number of coils, and the first envelope comprises a first opaque portion positioned a second distance from the first end of the first envelope; and
 a first power source coupled with the first plurality of lamps; and
 a first lamp driving circuit electrically coupled with the first plurality of lamps in the first lamp subgroup and the first power source and operable to control the first plurality of lamps; and
a second lamp assembly subgroup, comprising:
 a second plurality of lamps, wherein each lamp of the second plurality of lamps comprises:
 a second envelope having a first end and a second end;
 a base coupled with the first end of the second envelope to support the second envelope; and
 a second filament positioned along a longitudinal axis extending from the first end of the second envelope to the second end of the second envelope, wherein each lamp of the second plurality of lamps has at least one characteristic of the following set of characteristics: the second filament has a second length, the end of the second filament is positioned a third distance from the first end of the second envelope, the second filament has a second number of coils, and the second envelope comprises a second opaque portion positioned a fourth distance from the first end of the second envelope;
 a second power source coupled with the second plurality of lamps; and
 a second lamp driving circuit electrically coupled with the second plurality of lamps in the second lamp subgroup and the second power source and operable to control the second plurality of lamps; and

a divider positioned between the first annular lamp array and the processing region,
wherein the at least one characteristic of the first lamp subgroup differs from the at least one characteristic of the second lamp subgroup; and
wherein the first lamp driving circuit is independently controllable relative to the second lamp driving circuit.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a second annular lamp array having a third plurality of lamps, wherein the second annular lamp array is concentric with the first annular lamp array.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first length is greater than the second length.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first envelope comprises the first opaque portion and the first opaque portion i

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Cong Zhepeng
• Chu Schubert S

Classifications

• H10P72/0436 Primary

  mainly by radiation · CPC title

• H05B3/0047 Primary

  for semiconductor manufacture · CPC title

• H01K1/46

  supported by a separate part, e.g. base, cap · CPC title

• H01K7/00

  Lamps for purposes other than general lighting (H01K9/00 - H01K13/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01K1/58

  Cooling arrangements · CPC title