Method and device for predicting wavelength dependent radiation influences in thermal systems
First Claim
1. A method of controlling a rapid thermal processing (RTP) reactor for processing a silicon wafer under a desired wafer time dependent temperature profile, the RTP reactor including at least one heating element and a partially transmitting component separating the heating element and the wafer, the method comprising the steps of:
- generating in a computer a spectral thermal radiation transport model of the RTP reactor for given heating element parameters;
inputting into the computer data specifying the desired wafer time dependent temperature profile;
selecting components for the RTP reactor based on the generated model;
calculating an inverse of the generated model using the data specifying the desired wafer time dependent temperature profile to determine heating element parameters required to produce the desired wafer time dependent temperature profile,wherein the selecting step selects the components for the RTP reactor to meet control parameters indicated by the inverse of the generated model; and
controlling the heating elements of the RTP reactor in accordance with the heating element parameters to heat the wafer in accordance with the desired wafer time dependent temperature profile.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for predicting the spectral (wavelength-dependent) radiation transport in thermal systems including interaction by the radiation with partially transmitting medium. The predicted model of the thermal system is used to design and control the thermal system. The predictions are well suited to be implemented in design and control of rapid thermal processing (RTP) reactors. The method involves generating a spectral thermal radiation transport model of an RTP reactor. The method also involves specifying a desired wafer time dependent temperature profile. The method further involves calculating an inverse of the generated model using the desired wafer time dependent temperature to determine heating element parameters required to produce the desired profile. The method also involves controlling the heating elements of the RTP reactor in accordance with the heating element parameters to heat the wafer in accordance with the desired profile.
32 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method of controlling a rapid thermal processing (RTP) reactor for processing a silicon wafer under a desired wafer time dependent temperature profile, the RTP reactor including at least one heating element and a partially transmitting component separating the heating element and the wafer, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating in a computer a spectral thermal radiation transport model of the RTP reactor for given heating element parameters; inputting into the computer data specifying the desired wafer time dependent temperature profile; selecting components for the RTP reactor based on the generated model; calculating an inverse of the generated model using the data specifying the desired wafer time dependent temperature profile to determine heating element parameters required to produce the desired wafer time dependent temperature profile, wherein the selecting step selects the components for the RTP reactor to meet control parameters indicated by the inverse of the generated model; and controlling the heating elements of the RTP reactor in accordance with the heating element parameters to heat the wafer in accordance with the desired wafer time dependent temperature profile. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method of designing a rapid thermal processing (RTP) reactor for processing a silicon wafer, the RTP reactor including at least one lamp heating element and a partially transmitting component separating the lamp heating element and the wafer, the method comprising the steps of:
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inputting data into a computer corresponding to a general design of the RTP reactor including at least a thermal transport characteristic of the partially transmitting component and the wafer and a general design of the thermal radiation characteristic of the lamp heating element; generating in the computer a model of spectral thermal radiation transport of the RTP reactor based on the input data; selecting components for the RTP reactor based on the model; inputting data corresponding to a desired time dependent temperature profile of the wafer to be processed in the RTP reactor; storing the data corresponding to the desired time dependent temperature profile in a memory; retrieving the stored data and utilizing the computer to calculate an inverse of the model to obtain control parameters for the heating element necessary to heat the wafer in accordance with the retrieved data; and providing a control portion to control the heating element based on the control parameters obtained from the inverse of the model. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. A method of designing a rapid thermal processing (RTP) reactor for processing a silicon wafer, the RTP reactor to include at least one lamp heating element and a partially transmitting component separation the lamp heating element and the wafer, the method comprising the steps of:
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inputting data into a computer corresponding to a general design of the RTP reactor including at least the thermal transport characteristic of the partially transmitting component and the wafer and the general design of the thermal radiation characteristic of the lamp heating element; generating in the computer a model of spectral thermal radiation transport of the RTP reactor based on the input data; and selecting components for the RTP reactor based on the model; utilizing the computer to calculate an inverse of the model to obtain control parameters for the heating element necessary to heat the wafer in accordance with a desired time dependent temperature profile of the wafer to be processed in the RTP reactor; and providing a control portion to control the heating element based on the control parameters obtained from the inverse of the model, wherein the selecting step includes the step of selecting the components for the RTP reactor to meet the control parameters indicated by the inverse of the model. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A system including a modeling apparatus for accurately characterizing time dependent spectral thermal radiation transport of a thermal system, the thermal system including a first portion having one or more heating elements, and a second portion separated from the first portion by a partially transmitting medium, the modeling apparatus comprising:
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an input device for inputting characteristics of the thermal system; a memory connected to the input device for storing the thermal system characteristics, the thermal system characteristics including at least geometric parameters of the thermal system, a time dependent intensity profile of the heating elements and wavelength-dependent properties of the partially transmitting medium; a processing unit connected to the memory, the processing unit predicting a time dependant spectral thermal radiation transport characteristic of the thermal system based on the thermal system characteristics, said processing unit producing a characteristic model of the thermal system using the time dependant spectral thermal radiation transport characteristic. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification