Design of single-wafer furnace and its rapid thermal processing applications

A resistively heated, vacuum- and atmospheric-pressure-compatible, single-w afer furnace (SWF) system is designed to improve the operational flexibilit y of conventional furnaces and the productivity of single-wafer rapid therm al processing (RTP) systems. The heat source design and system operation co ncepts are described. The temperature measurement/control techniques and th ermal characteristics of the heat source are described. The heat transfer m echanism between the heat source and Si wafer is discussed. Temperature and process uniformity in SWF were demonstrated in TiSi formation, implant ann ealing and thin-oxide formation. The defect-generation phenomenon in Si waf ers during atmospheric pressure RTP in a SWF system is investigated as a fu nction of temperature, process time, wafer handling method and speed. Highl y repealable slip-free RTP results were achieved in 200-mm-diameter Si wafe rs processed at 1100 degreesC for 60s (up to 5 times) through the optimizat ion of the wafer handling method and speed.