Rapid thermal processing of silicon wafers with emissivity patterns

Fabrication of devices and circuits on silicon wafers creates patterns in optical properties, particularly the thermal emissivity and absorptivity, that lead to temperature nonuniformity during rapid thermal processing (RTP) by infrared heating methods. The work reported in this paper compares the effect of emissivity test patterns on wafers heated by two RTP methods: (1) a steady-state furnace or (2) arrays of incandescent lamps. Method I was found to yield reduced temperature variability, attributable to smaller temperature differences between the wafer and heat source, The temperature was determined by monitoring test processes involving either the device side or the reverse side of the wafer. These include electrical activation of implanted dopants after rapid thermal annealing (RTA) or growth of oxide films by rapid thermal oxidation (RTO). Temperature variation data are compared with a model of radiant heating of patterned wafers in RTP systems.