Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110262115 | HEAT TREATMENT METHOD AND HEAT TREATMENT APPARATUS FOR HEATING SUBSTRATE BY EMITTING FLASHING LIGHT - A first flash heating is performed in which a flash lamp emits a first flashing light to a semiconductor wafer having been heated to a first preheating temperature equal to or lower than 650 degrees C. by a light emission from a halogen lamp so that the temperature of a surface of the semiconductor wafer reaches 1000 degrees C. or higher. Then, a second flash heating is performed in which a second flashing light is emitted to the semiconductor wafer having been further heated by a light emission of the halogen lamp. Performing the first flash heating can suppress diffusion of impurity in the subsequent second flash heating. In the second flash heating, the impurity is activated and introduced crystal defects are recovered. | 10-27-2011 |
20120238110 | HEAT TREATMENT METHOD AND HEAT TREATMENT APPARATUS FOR HEATING SUBSTRATE BY IRRADIATING SUBSTRATE WITH FLASH OF LIGHT - The first flash irradiation is performed on a semiconductor wafer preheated to 500° C. to heat a front surface of the semiconductor wafer. Thereafter, the second flash irradiation is performed to reheat the front surface of the semiconductor wafer before the temperature of the front surface of the semiconductor wafer becomes equal to the temperature of a back surface of the semiconductor wafer. Thus, the second flash irradiation is performed before the temperature of the front surface of the semiconductor wafer falls. Even if less energy is consumable by the second flash irradiation, the efficiency of heating of the front surface of the semiconductor wafer resulting from each iteration of the flash irradiation is improved. | 09-20-2012 |
20120244725 | HEAT TREATMENT METHOD AND HEAT TREATMENT APPARATUS FOR HEATING SUBSTRATE BY IRRADIATING SUBSTRATE WITH LIGHT - First irradiation which causes an emission output from a flash lamp to reach its maximum value over a time period in the range of 1 to 20 milliseconds is performed to increase the temperature of a front surface of a semiconductor wafer from a preheating temperature to a target temperature for a time period in the range of 1 to 20 milliseconds. This achieves the activation of the impurities. Subsequently, second irradiation which gradually decreases the emission output from the maximum value over a time period in the range of 3 to 50 milliseconds is performed to maintain the temperature of the front surface within a ±25° C. range around the target temperature for a time period in the range of 3 to 50 milliseconds. This prevents the occurrence of process-induced damage while suppressing the diffusion of the impurities. | 09-27-2012 |
20130078822 | HEAT TREATMENT METHOD FOR HEATING SUBSTRATE BY IRRADIATING SUBSTRATE WITH FLASH OF LIGHT - First flash irradiation from flash lamps is performed on an upper surface of a semiconductor wafer supported on a temperature equalizing ring of a holder to cause the semiconductor wafer to jump up from the temperature equalizing ring into midair. While the semiconductor wafer is in midair above the temperature equalizing ring, second flash irradiation from the flash lamps is performed on the upper surface of the semiconductor wafer to increase the temperature of the upper surface of the semiconductor wafer to a treatment temperature. Cracking in the semiconductor wafer is prevented because the second flash irradiation is performed while the semiconductor wafer is in midair and subject to no restraints. | 03-28-2013 |
20130259457 | HEAT TREATMENT APPARATUS FOR HEATING SUBSTRATE BY IRRADIATING SUBSTRATE WITH FLASH OF LIGHT - Three support members made of silicon carbide are provided fixedly on an inner periphery of the support ring. The support members are inclined at an angle in the range of 15 to 30 degrees with respect to a horizontal plane. With an outer peripheral edge of a semiconductor wafer supported by the three support members, a heating treatment is performed by irradiating the semiconductor wafer with halogen light from halogen lamps. Silicon carbide absorbs the halogen light better than quartz. The support members support the outer peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer in point contacting relationship, so that the contact between a holder and the semiconductor wafer is minimized. This minimizes the disorder of the temperature distribution of the semiconductor wafer due to the support members to achieve the uniform heating of the semiconductor wafer. | 10-03-2013 |
20130260546 | HEAT TREATMENT APPARATUS AND HEAT TREATMENT METHOD FOR HEATING SUBSTRATE BY IRRADIATING SUBSTRATE WITH FLASH OF LIGHT - After the completion of the transport of a semiconductor wafer into a chamber, the flow rate of nitrogen gas supplied into the chamber is decreased. In this state, a preheating treatment and flash irradiation are performed. The flow rate of nitrogen gas supplied into the chamber is increased when the temperature of the front surface of the semiconductor wafer is decreased to become equal to the temperature of the back surface thereof after reaching its maximum temperature by the irradiation of the substrate with a flash of light. Thereafter, the supply flow rate of nitrogen gas is maintained at a constant value until the semiconductor wafer is transported out of the chamber. This achieves the reduction in particles deposited on the semiconductor wafer while suppressing adverse effects resulting from the nonuniform in-plane temperature distribution of the semiconductor wafer. | 10-03-2013 |
20140161429 | THERMAL PROCESSING APPARATUS AND THERMAL PROCESSING METHOD FOR HEATING SUBSTRATE BY LIGHT IRRADIATION - A susceptor that holds a semiconductor wafer placed thereon is capable of moving up and down inside a chamber. For preheating with a halogen lamp, the susceptor moves to a preheating position. The preheating position is a height of the susceptor that achieves the most uniform in-plane illumination distribution of light emitted from the halogen lamp and applied to the semiconductor wafer. After the preheating is finished, the susceptor moves to a flash heating position for irradiation with a flash from a flash lamp. The flash heating position is a height of the susceptor that achieves the most uniform in-plane illumination distribution of a flash emitted from the flash lamp and applied to the semiconductor wafer. | 06-12-2014 |
20140270734 | LIGHT IRRADIATION TYPE HEAT TREATMENT APPARATUS AND HEAT TREATMENT METHOD - Four wafer pins are fixed in a chamber and spaced at intervals of 90 degrees. Four support pins are provided in a wafer pocket of a susceptor and spaced at intervals of 90 degrees. The four wafer pins and the four support pins are disposed concyclically in an alternating manner at intervals of 45 degrees. When halogen lamps irradiate a semiconductor wafer with light to heat the semiconductor wafer, the susceptor is moved upwardly and downwardly, so that the semiconductor wafer is shifted between the wafer pins and the support pins. This eliminates the occurrence of a problem such that the quartz pins which are relatively low in temperature are continuously kept in contact with particular places of the semiconductor wafer to improve the uniformity of the in-plane temperature distribution of the semiconductor wafer. | 09-18-2014 |
20140329340 | HEAT TREATMENT METHOD AND HEAT TREATMENT APPARATUS - After a substrate implanted with impurities is heated to a preheating temperature, the front surface of the substrate is heated to a target temperature by irradiating the front surface of the substrate with a flash of light. Further, the flash irradiation is continued to maintain the temperature of the front surface near the target temperature for a predetermined time period. At this time, a flash irradiation time period in the flash heating step is made longer than a heat conduction time period required for heat conduction from the front surface of the substrate to the back surface thereof, and a difference in temperature between the front and back surfaces of the substrate is controlled to be always not more than one-half of an increased temperature from the preheating temperature to the target temperature during the flash irradiation. This alleviates the concentration of stresses resulting from a difference in thermal expansion between the front and back surfaces of the substrate to thereby prevent the cracking of the substrate. | 11-06-2014 |