MICROWAVE ANNEALING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

• US 20140073065A1
• Filed: 04/09/2013
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: OHNO, Hiroshi, AOYAMA, Tomonori, MIYANO, Kiyotaka, HONGUH, Yoshinori, SHIRATSUCHI, Masataka
• Granted Patent: US 9,466,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/5
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/324 Thermal treatment for modifying the properties of semiconductor bodies, e.g. annealing, sintering H01L21/20 - H01L21/288 and H01L21/302 - H01L21/322 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67115 mainly by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67248 Temperature monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6455 the sensors being infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/68 for monitoring or control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/806 for laboratory use

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a microwave annealing apparatus is provided, including a housing shielding electromagnetic waves, a first electromagnetic wave source configured to apply a first electromagnetic wave into the housing, a second electromagnetic wave source configured to apply, into the housing, a second electromagnetic wave having a higher frequency than the first electromagnetic wave, a susceptor configured to hold a semiconductor substrate, made of a material transparent to the first electromagnetic wave and provided in the housing, a temperature measuring device configured to measure the temperature of the semiconductor substrate, and a control unit configured to control the power of each of the first and second electromagnetic wave sources in accordance with the temperature measured by the temperature measuring device.

Claims

1. A microwave annealing apparatus comprising:

a housing configured to shield electromagnetic waves;

a first electromagnetic wave source configured to apply a first electromagnetic wave in a microwave region into the housing;

a second electromagnetic wave source configured to apply, into the housing, a second electromagnetic wave having a higher frequency than the first electromagnetic wave;

a susceptor configured to hold a semiconductor substrate, made of a material transparent to the first electromagnetic wave and provided in the housing;

a temperature measuring device configured to measure the temperature of the semiconductor substrate; and

a control unit configured to control powers of each of the first electromagnetic wave source and the second electromagnetic wave source in accordance with the temperature measured by the temperature measuring device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit keeps the second electromagnetic wave source turned on until the temperature measured reaches a preset temperature, and turns off the second electromagnetic wave source and turns on the first electromagnetic wave source when the temperature measured reaches a preset temperature.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the susceptor is made of glass.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the susceptor is made of single-crystal silicon.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electromagnetic wave is a microwave having a frequency ranging from 1 GHz to 45 GHz, and the second electromagnetic wave is a terahertz wave having a frequency ranging from 3 THz to 17 THz.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electromagnetic wave is a microwave having a frequency ranging from 1 GHz to 45 GHz, and the second electromagnetic wave is light having a frequency of at least 300 THz.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the susceptor is secured to a rotation mechanism made of a material transparent to the first electromagnetic wave and is able to rotate.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the temperature measuring device is a radiation thermometer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electromagnetic wave source is a magnetron.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electromagnetic wave source is provided on the upper surface of the housing, and the second electromagnetic wave source is provided on the lower surface of the housing.

11. A microwave annealing apparatus comprising:

a housing configured to shield electromagnetic waves;

a susceptor configured to hold a semiconductor substrate, provided in the housing and having a heater for heating the semiconductor substrate;

an electromagnetic wave source configured to apply, into the housing, an electromagnetic wave in a microwave region;

a temperature measuring device configured to measure the temperature of the semiconductor substrate; and

a control unit configured to control the power of the electromagnetic wave source in accordance with the temperature measured by the temperature measuring device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control unit keeps the heater of the susceptor turned on until the temperature measured reaches a preset temperature, and turns off the heater of the susceptor and turns on the electromagnetic wave source when the temperature measured reaches a preset temperature.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the susceptor has a transparent glass heater, a transparent ceramic heater or a single-crystal silicon heater, each transparent to the electromagnetic wave, is shaped like a flat plate and is thinner than the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the electromagnetic wave is a microwave having a frequency ranging from 1 GHz to 45 GHz.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the temperature measuring device is a radiation thermometer.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the electromagnetic wave source is a magnetron.

17. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

using a microwave annealing apparatus having a heating mechanism configured to heat a semiconductor substrate held in a housing shielding electromagnetic waves, an electromagnetic wave source configured to apply, into the housing, an electromagnetic wave in a microwave region, and a temperature measuring device configured to measure the temperature of the semiconductor substrate;

driving the heating mechanism heating the semiconductor substrate before driving the electromagnetic source, thereby heating the semiconductor substrate; and

turning off the heating mechanism or decreasing the power of the heating mechanism when the temperature measured by the temperature measuring device becomes a preset temperature, and driving the electromagnetic source thereafter, applying an electromagnetic wave to the semiconductor substrate, thereby annealing the semiconductor substrate.