Heating device containing a multi-lamp cone for heating semiconductor wafers
First Claim
1. An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers comprising:
- a thermal processing chamber adapted to contain a semiconductor wafer, said thermal processing chamber containing at least one sidewall, an upper wall, and a lower wall;
a heating device in communication with said thermal processing chamber for heating a semiconductor wafer contained in said chamber using electromagnetic energy, said heating device comprising at least one heating cone having an axis perpendicular to said semiconductor wafer, said heating cone including a plurality of light energy sources positioned within a conically-shaped reflector, said conically-shaped reflector gradually decreasing in diameter in a direction towards said semiconductor wafer; and
a window separating said heating device from said thermal processing chamber, said window being disposed on either said upper wall or said lower wall of said thermal processing chamber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating device which contains an assembly of light energy sources for emitting light energy onto a wafer. In particular, the present invention is directed to a heating device that contains at least one heating cone. The heating cone of the present invention includes a circular reflector that can be conically-shaped. A plurality of light energy sources are contained within the reflector. The light energy sources can be vertically oriented or can be tilted slightly towards the central axis of the heating cone. In this arrangement, it has been discovered that the heating cone produces a uniform irradiance distribution over a wafer being heated.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers comprising:
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a thermal processing chamber adapted to contain a semiconductor wafer, said thermal processing chamber containing at least one sidewall, an upper wall, and a lower wall;
a heating device in communication with said thermal processing chamber for heating a semiconductor wafer contained in said chamber using electromagnetic energy, said heating device comprising at least one heating cone having an axis perpendicular to said semiconductor wafer, said heating cone including a plurality of light energy sources positioned within a conically-shaped reflector, said conically-shaped reflector gradually decreasing in diameter in a direction towards said semiconductor wafer; and
a window separating said heating device from said thermal processing chamber, said window being disposed on either said upper wall or said lower wall of said thermal processing chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
at least one temperature sensing device for sensing the temperature of said semiconductor wafer at least at one location; and
a controller in communication with said at least one temperature sensing device and at least certain of said light energy sources, said controller being configured to control the amount of electromagnetic energy being emitted by said light energy sources in response to temperature information received from said at least one temperature sensing device.
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17. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein said controller is configured to control the amount of electromagnetic energy being emitted by said light energy sources contained in said heating cone independent of other light energy sources included in said heating device.
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18. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a substrate holder for holding said semiconductor wafer, said substrate holder being configured to rotate said wafer.
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19. An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers comprising:
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a thermal processing chamber, said thermal processing chamber containing at least one sidewall, an upper wall, and a lower wall;
a substrate holder contained in said thermal processing chamber for holding a semiconductor wafer, said substrate holder being configured to rotate said wafer;
a heating device in communication with said thermal processing chamber for heating a semiconductor wafer held on said substrate holder using electromagnetic energy, said heating device comprising at least one heating cone having an axis perpendicular to said semiconductor wafer, said heating cone including a plurality of light energy sources positioned within a circular reflector, wherein at least certain of said light energy sources positioned within said circular reflector are tilted towards said axis of said heating cone, said light energy sources being tilted in an amount up to about 20 degrees with respect to said axis; and
a window separating said heating device from said thermal processing chamber, said window being disposed on either said upper wall or said lower wall of said thermal processing chamber. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers comprising:
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a thermal processing chamber, said thermal processing containing at least one sidewall, an upper wall, and a lower wall;
a substrate holder contained in said thermal processing chamber for holding a semiconductor wafer, said substrate holder being configured to rotate said wafer;
a heating device in communication with said thermal processing chamber for heating a semiconductor wafer held on said substrate holder using electromagnetic energy, said heating device comprising at least one heating cone and having an axis perpendicular to said semiconductor wafer, said heating cone including a plurality of light energy sources positioned within a conically-shaped reflector, said conically-shaped reflector gradually decreasing in diameter in a direction towards said semiconductor wafer, at least certain of said light energy sources contained within said conically-shaped reflector being tilted towards said axis defined by said heating cone an amount up to about 20 degrees;
a window separating said heating device from said thermal processing chamber, said window being disposed on either said upper wall or said lower wall of said thermal processing chamber;
at least one temperature sensing device for sensing the temperature of said wafer at least at one location; and
a controller in communication with said at least one temperature sensing device and said light energy sources, said controller being configured to control the amount of electromagnetic energy being emitted by said light energy sources in response to temperature information received from said at least one temperature sensing device. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification