Barbara M Barnes

Title: Barbara M. Barnes and Rapid Thermal Annealing Technology.

Introduction

Barbara M. Barnes is an inventor associated with Tucson, Arizona, and Texas Instruments Corporation. Her patent work addresses calibration and process control in rapid thermal processing (RTP), a technique used to heat semiconductor wafers for carefully controlled periods.

Latest Patents

The available information lists one patent for Barnes: “Rapid Thermal Anneal Equipment and Method Using Sichrome Film.” The invention describes a method for assessing the calibration of an RTP chamber using a test wafer coated with a sichrome layer over an oxide layer on a silicon substrate.

The wafer is annealed at a selected temperature and duration, and its sichrome sheet resistance is measured before and after processing. The change in resistance is compared with predetermined characterization data to estimate the actual anneal temperature. If that estimate differs from the chamber’s temperature reading beyond an acceptable margin, the chamber can be recalibrated. The technique can also help determine annealing conditions for adjusting the sheet resistance or temperature coefficient of resistance of sichrome resistors.

Career Highlights

Barnes’s listed patent reflects work on improving the accuracy and reliability of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. By using a measurable change in a test wafer as an independent indicator of thermal conditions, the method offers a way to verify RTP chamber performance and refine annealing processes. Barnes is credited with 1 patent.

Collaborations

The supplied information associates Barnes with Texas Instruments Corporation and identifies Eric W. Beach and Rajneesh Jaiswal as coworkers. These details provide context for the professional environment connected with her patent work.

Conclusion

Barbara M. Barnes’s patent focuses on a practical method for checking and improving rapid thermal annealing calibration, supporting more precise semiconductor processing.