A SYSTEMATIC-APPROACH TO SIMULATING RAPID THERMAL-PROCESSING SYSTEMS

We present a systematic approach to the modeling of rapid thermal proc essing systems. In this approach, a discretized version of a computer- aided design file of a rapid thermal processing system is incorporated into fundamental physically based models of the transport phenomena t o aid in design and optimization of these reactors. These models inclu de a detailed radiative-heat-transfer description which is used to com pute radiative exchange factors involving both diffuse and specular su rfaces. The radiative exchange factors are then incorporated into tran sient finite element fluid-flow and heat-transfer models to investigat e effects of conductive and convective heat transfer on wafer temperat ure uniformity. This approach is illustrated in investigations of the effects of thermal guard rings and radiative properties of the chamber on wafer temperature uniformity. Comparisons are made with experiment s, and reduced-complexity models are evaluated to identify their range of applicability.