Gas Flow Control for Millisecond Anneal System

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017191759-A1
Application number	US-201615386538-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 21, 2016
Priority date	Dec 30, 2015
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for gas flow in a thermal processing system are provided. In some example implementations a gas flow pattern inside the process chamber of a millisecond anneal system can be improved by implementing one or more of the following: (1) altering the direction, size, position, shape and arrangement of the gas injection inlet nozzles, or a combination hereof; (2) use of gas channels in a wafer plane plate connecting the upper chamber with the lower chamber of a millisecond anneal system; and/or (3) decreasing the effective volume of the processing chamber using a liner plate disposed above the semiconductor substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A thermal processing system, comprising:
a processing chamber comprising a top chamber separated from a bottom chamber by a wafer plane plate; a plurality of heat sources configured to provide heat for the thermal treatment of a substrate; a plurality of gas inlets configured to inject gas into the processing chamber; wherein one or more of the direction, size, position, shape, or arrangement of the gas inlets are configured to increase laminar flow across the wafer plane plate.

2 . The thermal processing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gas inlets are arranged in separate top corners of the top chamber, the gas inlets oriented to point to the substrate.

3 . The thermal processing system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of gas inlets is positioned proximate to the wafer plane plate.

4 . The thermal processing system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of gas inlets is positioned a first distance from a ceiling of the top chamber and a second distance from the wafer plane plate, the first distance being greater than the second distance.

5 . The thermal processing system of claim 4 , wherein the system further comprises a plurality of gas inlets located in separate top corners of the top chamber.

6 . The thermal processing system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of gas inlets is positioned opposite a gate valve proximate the wafer plane plate.

7 . The thermal processing system of claim 6 , wherein the gas flow system comprises one or more vents positioned proximate to the gate valve.

8 . The thermal processing system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of gas inlets comprise a pipe penetrating into the processing chamber through a reflective mirror.

9 . The thermal processing system of claim 8 , wherein the pipe has a straight open end.

10 . The thermal processing system of claim 8 , wherein the pipe has an opening perpendicular to a pipe axis.

11 . The thermal processing system of claim 8 , wherein the pipe has an opening that is at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to a pipe axis.

12 . The thermal processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermal processing system is a millisecond anneal system.

13 . A millisecond anneal system, comprising:
a processing chamber comprising a top chamber separated from a bottom chamber by a wafer plane plate; one or more arc lamps configured to provide a flash for the thermal treatment of a substrate; one or more gas inlets configured to inject gas into the processing chamber; wherein the wafer plane plate comprises at least one gas channel, a length of the gas channel being equal to about a width of the processing chamber.

14 . The millisecond anneal system of claim 13 , wherein the wafer plane plate comprises a plurality of gas channels disposed on separate sides of the wafer plane plate.

15 . The millisecond anneal system of claim 13 , wherein the wafer plane plate comprises a first set of gas channels disposed on opposing sides of the wafer plane plate and a second set of gas channels disposed on different opposing sides of the wafer plane plate.

16 . The millisecond anneal system of claim 15 , wherein the first set of gas channels each have a first length and the second set of gas channels each have a second length, the first length being greater than the second length.

17 . The millisecond anneal system of claim 16 , wherein the first length is equal to about a width of the processing chamber and the second length is less than the width of the processing chamber.

18 . A millisecond anneal system, comprising:
a processing chamber comprising a top chamber separated from a bottom chamber by a wafer plane plate; one or more arc lamps configured to provide a flash for the thermal treatment of a substrate; one or more gas inlets configured to inject gas into the processing chamber; and a liner plate disposed in parallel relationship above the wafer plane plate.

19 . The millisecond anneal system of claim 18 , wherein the liner plate comprises quartz.

20 . The millisecond anneal system of claim 19 , wherein a distance between the wafer plane plate and the liner plate is in the range of about 30 mm to about 60 mm.

Assignees

• Mattson Tech Inc

Inventors

• Pfahler Christian
• Cibere Joseph

Classifications

• H10P72/0602

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0462

  characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/0436

  mainly by radiation · CPC title

• H10P72/0434

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• H01J37/32522

  Temperature · CPC title