Applied Materials, Inc.

Luxtron Corporation

Bruce E Adams

Aaron Muir Hunter

Dean C Jennings

Joseph Michael Ranish

Abhilash J Mayur

Stephen Moffatt

Jiping Li

Vijay Parihar

Samuel C Howells

Mark Yam

Timothy N Thomas

Haifan Liang

Douglas Earl Holmgren

Charles W Schietinger

Edric Tong

Rajesh S Ramanujam

Mehran Behdjat

Theodore P Moffitt

Huixiong Dai

Blake R Koelmel

Kaushal Kishore Singh

Kenneth A Wickersheim

Kim Ramkumar Vellore

Mangesh Bangar

Paul A O'Brien

Alex Rubinchik

Kelly E Hollar

Jaujiun Chen

Alexander N Lerner

Wolfgang R Aderhold

Khurshed Sorabji

Lei Lian

Balasubramanian Ramachandran

Kailash Kiran Patalay

Chris Eberspacher

Wen Teh Chang

Daoying Song

Amikam Sade

Tarpan Dixit

Barry Craver

Zhihai Wang

Alvaro Garcia

Tony Jefferson Gnanaprakasa

Leo B Kwak

Douglas E Holmgren

Aaron Huntern

Haifan Lang

A method and apparatus for determining the temperature of a substrate within a processing chamber are described herein. The methods and apparatus described herein utilize an etalon assembly and a heterodyning effect to determine a first temperature of a substrate. The first temperature of the substrate is determined without physically contacting the substrate. A separate temperature sensor also measures a second temperature of the substrate and/or the substrate support at a similar location. The first temperature and the second temperature are utilized to calibrate one of the temperature sensors disposed within the substrate support, a model of the processes performed within the processing chamber, or to adjust a process parameter of the process performed within the processing chamber.

Etalon thermometry for plasma environments

A thermal processing apparatus and method in which a first laser source, for example, a COemitting at 10.6 μm is focused onto a silicon wafer as a line beam and a second laser source, for example, a GaAs laser bar emitting at 808 nm is focused onto the wafer as a larger beam surrounding the line beam. The two beams are scanned in synchronism in the direction of the narrow dimension of the line beam to create a narrow heating pulse from the line beam when activated by the larger beam. The energy of GaAs radiation is greater than the silicon bandgap energy and creates free carriers. The energy of the COradiation is less than the silicon bandgap energy so silicon is otherwise transparent to it, but the long wavelength radiation is absorbed by the free carriers.

Annealing apparatus using two wavelengths of radiation

A method includes exposing a sample etalon-object to sample incident radiation, resulting in a sample transmitted radiation and sample reflected radiation; exposing a reference etalon-object to reference incident radiation, resulting in a reference transmitted radiation and reference reflected radiation; and analyzing resultant radiation for a heterodyned spectrum. The sample transmitted radiation may become the reference incident radiation, and the reference transmitted radiation may become the resultant radiation. The reference transmitted radiation may become the sample incident radiation, and the sample transmitted radiation may become the resultant radiation. The sample transmitted radiation may become the reference incident radiation, and the reference reflected radiation may become the resultant radiation. The reference transmitted radiation may become the sample incident radiation, and the sample reflected radiation may become the resultant radiation.

Temperature measurement using etalons

A thermal processing apparatus and method in which a first laser source, for example, a COemitting at 10.6 &#x3bc;m is focused onto a silicon wafer as a line beam and a second laser source, for example, a GaAs laser bar emitting at 808 nm is focused onto the wafer as a larger beam surrounding the line beam. The two beams are scanned in synchronism in the direction of the narrow dimension of the line beam to create a narrow heating pulse from the line beam when activated by the larger beam. The energy of GaAs radiation is greater than the silicon bandgap energy and creates free carriers. The energy of the COradiation is less than the silicon bandgap energy so silicon is otherwise transparent to it, but the long wavelength radiation is absorbed by the free carriers.

A calibration curve for a wafer comprising a layer on a substrate is determined. The calibration curve represents a local parameter change as a function of a treatment parameter associated with a wafer exposure to a light. The local parameter of the wafer is measured. An overlay error is determined based on the local parameter of the wafer. A treatment map is computed based on the calibration curve to correct the overlay error for the wafer. The treatment map represents the treatment parameter as a function of a location on the wafer.

Overlay error correction

An optical system that is able to reliably deliver a uniform amount of energy across an anneal region contained on a surface of a substrate. The optical system is adapted to deliver, or project, a uniform amount of energy having a desired two-dimensional shape on a desired region on the surface of the substrate. An energy source for the optical system is typically a plurality of lasers, which are combined to form the energy field.

Thermal processing apparatus

Embodiments of the invention generally relate to pyrometry during thermal processing of semiconductor substrates. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to a pyrometry filter for a thermal process chamber. In certain embodiments, the pyrometry filter selectively filters selected wavelengths of energy to improve a pyrometer measurement. The pyrometry filter may have various geometries which may affect the functionality of the pyrometry filter.

Pyrometry filter for thermal process chamber

Apparatus and methods of treating a substrate with an amorphous semiconductor layer, or a semiconductor layer having small crystals, to form large crystals in the substrate are described. A treatment area of the substrate is identified and melted using a progressive melting process of delivering pulsed energy to the treatment area. The treatment area is then recrystallized using a progressive crystallization process of delivering pulsed energy to the area. The pulsed energy delivered during the progressive crystallization process is selected to convert the small crystals into large crystals as the melted material freezes.

Methods for crystallizing a substrate using a plurality of laser pulses and freeze periods

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an optical valve that modifies a laser beam to allow more energy to be irradiated onto less absorbing areas on a substrate and less energy to be irradiated onto more absorbing areas on the substrate, thus creating a more uniform heating field. The optical valve is a layered structure comprising a reflective switch layer, an absorbing layer, a thermal resistor and a thermal bath.

Dynamic optical valve for mitigating non-uniform heating in laser processing

Embodiments described herein relate to apparatus and methods of thermal processing. More specifically, apparatus and methods described herein relate to laser thermal treatment of semiconductor substrates by increasing the uniformity of energy distribution in an image at a surface of a substrate.

Process sheet resistance uniformity improvement using multiple melt laser exposures

Apparatus and methods for combining beams of amplified radiation are disclosed. A beam combiner has a collimating optic positioned to receive a plurality of coherent radiation beams at a constant angle of incidence with respect to an optical axis of the collimating optic. The respective angles of incidence may also be different in some embodiments. The collimating optic has an optical property that collimates the beams. The optical property may be refractive or reflective, or a combination thereof. A collecting optic may also be provided to direct the plurality of beams to the collimating optic. The beam combiner may be used in a thermal processing apparatus to combine more than two beams of coherent amplified radiation, such as lasers, into a single beam.

Multiple beam combiner for laser processing apparatus

The present invention generally relates to an optical system that is able to reliably deliver a uniform amount of energy across an anneal region contained on a surface of a substrate. The optical system is adapted to deliver, or project, a uniform amount of energy having a desired two-dimensional shape on a desired region on the surface of the substrate. Typically, the anneal regions may be square or rectangular in shape. Generally, the optical system and methods of the present invention are used to preferentially anneal one or more regions found within the anneal regions by delivering enough energy to cause the one or more regions to re-melt and solidify.

Apparatus and method of improving beam shaping and beam homogenization

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Bruce E Adams