Vacuum thermal annealer

• US 20030173347A1
• Filed: 08/05/2002
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steel Technologies LLC (Mitsui & Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Steel Technologies LLC (Mitsui & Company Limited)
• Inventors: Guiver, Harold Chris
• Granted Patent: US 7,256,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/390
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection

Abstract

A vacuum thermal annealing device is provided having temperature control for use with various materials, such as semiconductor substrates. A vacuum is used to remove air and outgas residual materials. Heated gas is injected planar to a substrate as pressure is quickly raised.

Concurrent with the heated gas flow, a chamber wall heater is turned on and maintains a temperature for a proper annealing time. Upon completion of the annealing process, the chamber wall heater shuts down and air is forced around the chamber wall heater. Additionally, cool gas replaces the heated gas to cool the substrate.

Claims

1. A vacuum thermal processing system, comprising:

a processing chamber;

a heater coupled to the process chamber;

a vacuum flange coupled to the process chamber, the vacuum flange designed to be coupled to a pumping system;

at least one substrate holder contained within the process chamber configured to hold at least one substrate for each of the at least one substrate holder;

and a gas injector system contained within the process chamber, the gas injector system configured in a way so as to flow gas in an essentially planar fashion to a face surface of the substrate.

2. The vacuum thermal processing system of claim 1, wherein the process chamber is coupled to a gas distribution system.

3. The vacuum thermal processing system of claim 2, further comprising a gas heater system coupled downstream from the gas distribution system and further coupled upstream of the process chamber.

4. The vacuum thermal processing system of claim 1, further comprising a means of rotating the substrate holder in a direction parallel to the face surface of the substrate.

5. The vacuum thermal processing system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of process chambers may be coupled together while designed to be coupled to a common gas heating system and further designed to be coupled to a common pumping system.

6. The vacuum thermal processing system of claim 1, wherein the system is used for annealing substrates.

7. The vacuum thermal processing system of claim 1, wherein the system is used for oxidizing substrates.

8. The vacuum thermal processing system of claim 1, wherein the system is used for implanting dopants into a semiconductor substrate by injecting a dopant gas into the gas injector system.

9. The vacuum thermal processing system of claim 1, wherein the heater is located in proximity to the substrate.

10. The vacuum thermal processing system of claim 1, wherein the heater is located in at least one wall of the process chamber.

11. The vacuum thermal processing system of claim 1, wherein a thermal control system is coupled to monitor and maintains a temperature within the process chamber.

12. The vacuum thermal processing system of claim 1, wherein the gas injector system contains a plurality of orifices.

13. The vacuum thermal processing system of claim 12, wherein the orifices have an aspect ratio of between 4:

1 and 10;

1 as compared with a distance between a wall of the gas injector and the substrate, and a diameter of the orifice.

14. A method for annealing a substrate, comprising the steps of:

creating a vacuum in a process chamber;

uniformly and rapidly heating the substrate to a set-point temperature with at least one heated gas;

maintaining the set-point temperature for a desired amount of time; and

upon expiration of the desired amount of time, rapidly cooling the substrate.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the substrate is rotated essentially parallel to a face of the substrate while the at least one heated gas is flowing.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the substrate is rotated essentially parallel to a face of the substrate while the substrate is within the process chamber.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the heated gas is super-heated.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of cooling is accomplished using a super-cooled gas.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein a pressure within the process chamber is raised to approximately 69 kPa after the step of uniformly and rapidly heating the substrate has occurred.

20. A method for oxidizing a substrate, comprising the steps of:

creating a vacuum in a process chamber;

uniformly and rapidly heating the substrate to a set-point temperature with heated oxygen gas;

maintaining the set-point temperature for a desired amount of time; and

upon expiration of the desired amount of time, rapidly cooling the substrate.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the substrate is rotated essentially parallel to a face of the substrate while the heated oxygen gas is flowing.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the substrate is rotated essentially parallel to a face of the substrate while the substrate is within the process chamber.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the heated gas is super-heated.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of cooling is accomplished using a super-cooled gas.

25. A method for implanting dopants into a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of:

creating a vacuum in a process chamber;

uniformly and rapidly heating the semiconductor substrate to a set-point temperature with at least one heated dopant gas;

maintaining the set-point temperature for a desired amount of time; and

upon expiration of the desired amount of time, rapidly cooling the substrate.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the substrate is rotated essentially parallel to a face of the substrate while the at least one heated dopant gas is flowing.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the set-point temperature is approximately 900°

C.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the set-point temperature may be set to be anywhere within a range from approximately 100°

C. to 400°

C.

29. A vacuum thermal processing system, comprising:

a processing chamber;

a heater coupled to the process chamber;

a gas distribution system coupled to the process chamber;

a gas heater system coupled between the gas distribution system and the process chamber;

a programmable exhaust valve for maintaining a pressure within the process chamber;

a vacuum flange coupled to the process chamber, the vacuum flange designed to be coupled to a pumping system for creating a vacuum within the process chamber;

at least one rotatable substrate holder contained within the process chamber configured to hold at least one substrate for each of the at least one substrate holder;

and a gas injector system contained within the process chamber, the gas injector system configured in a way so as to flow super-heated and super-cooled gas in an essentially planar fashion to a face surface of the substrate.

30. A system for annealing a substrate, comprising:

means for creating a vacuum in a process chamber;

means for uniformly and rapidly heating the substrate to a set-point temperature with at least one heated gas;

means for maintaining the set-point temperature for a desired amount of time; and

upon expiration of the desired amount of time, means for rapidly cooling the substrate.