Recuit thermique rapide, RTP et RTA
JTEKT Thermo Systems est représentée en Europe par
|
Lamp heated rapid thermal annealing RLA and rapid thermal
processing RTP equipment are using lamp heating in order to ramp up and cool down semiconductor wafers
(silicon, germanium, GaAs, III/V-semiconductors, SiC) and glass wafer (on a susceptor) pretty fast.
This equipment is therefore mainly used for applications where the substrate needs to be brought to
a certain temperature just only for short time. The high ramp rates allow a short overall process time and keep
the thermal budget (this is the total time of a wafer, being exposed to high temperature) of the wafer low.
The temperature measurement and control is typically carried out contactlessly via a pyrometer, which converts the wavelength of
the emitted light radiation from the sample in the temperature.
Because of the design of the heaters, these RTA and RTP tools are used mainly for single wafer treatment.
Wafers have to be treated one by one. This is not as important as for other batch thermal processes, which use
vertical furnaces and horizontal furnaces, because the
process time is very short anyway. However wafer handling takes a substantial part of process time.
JTEKT Thermo Systems (previously Koyo Thermo Systems) has long years experience in producing lamp heated RLA and RTP equipment and is one of the market
leaders in Asia, even if these products are not yet so well known in Europe as the machines from the other large
RTP manufacturers Applied Materials and AST / STEAG / Mattson.
There are several types of conventional, lamp heated RTP systems available from JTEKT Thermo Systems, one medium size manual system (left picture) RLA1200 series and a fully automatic system (right picture) RLA3100 series, which is from its layout very similar to the no longer built AST 2800 system. Also a new 300mm version has been developed. It is also possible to operate the systems under vacuum conditions.
|
|
|
RLA 1200 |
RLA 3100 |
RLA 3300 |
JTEKT Thermo Systems RTP furnaces offer a unique lamp arrangement with upper and lower cross lamp arrays. A patented temperature distribution tool provides outstanding and unparalleled temperature uniformity resulting in process repeatability and minimization of slip line propagation.
 |
A special lamp-house with upper and lower cross lamp arrays, 6-zone control and adjustable power
for each zone is used for JTEKT Thermo Systemss's RTP systems. This design ensures excellent temperature homogeneity over the whole wafer.. |
|
 |
Rapid technology advancement in semiconductor device requires more critical performance, quality, and cost-effective production equipment. In order to fulfill these needs, JTEKT's long-year experience and achievement in thermal processing of semiconductors has resulted in collaboration with the Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. MES development of the zone controlled induction heating system to develop a thermal processing equipment with a totally new concept. As the conventional resistance heating furnaces adopt batch process mainly, it is difficult to raise or lower temperature rapidly. Whereas present lamp annealer cannot match resistance heating furnaces in terms of temperature reproducibility and stability, the newly developed equipment has realized about five to ten times faster heat up rate (1.000Cº/min max) than conventional resistance heating furnaces, while maintaining similar temperature reproducibility and stability. The different heater structure prevents slip generation even when the material is heated up rapidly. These capabilities make the equipment adaptable for multiple product lines or 300mm single wafer processing lines of which requirements for energy saving, high throughputs, reduction of thermal budgets, flexible production, and low cost are critical. The equipment is especially suitable for high temperature wet thin film oxidation and annealing of high-k or low-k materials.
JTEKT Thermo Systems developed world's first rapid thermal processing equipment with an induction heating system (IH-RTP) in the field of semiconductor manufacturing devices for 300 mm (and 200mm) wafers.
The inductive heating system consists of a controller, a power generator, several induction coils, a reaction chamber, a susceptor and a substrate and of course automation.
(1) Rapid thermal processing (max. 1.000 Cº/min)
Single wafer processing hot-wall equipment that adopts the zone control induction heating system
(2) Suitable for production lines, handling a variety of items in small quantities
The equipment is suitable for a flexible production line owing to excellent rapid thermal processing
characteristics so that it can save time and provide efficient production.
(3) Excellent temperature uniformity and reproducibility
The equipment has realized temperature uniformity and reproducibility like a batch-type furnace.
(1.000 Cº +/-1Cº)
(4) Slip free process
Original wafer support and uniform radiation heating can prevent slip generation.
(5) Energy saving of 30% has been realized.
(6) The equipment can be used for various processes and applications, e.g.:
