Description

The AG Associates Heatpulse8800i rapid thermal anneal system contains a subsystem for each of the following: • Electronics (including a dedicated microprocessor) • Mass-flow-controlled gas handling • Cooling • ULPA filtration • Mechanical assemblies Software programs, called recipes, specify the details for each process. The AG Associates Heatpulse 8800 system includes a 3-1/2-inch floppy disk drive for process recipe storage. A three-axis industrial robot automates processing by transporting wafers into and out of the process chamber. It uses closed-loop feedback for precise motion control and accurate positioning. To provide cold-wall processing, water is circulated through the process-chamber walls. The quartz isolation tube is cooled with nitrogen or compressed air. AG Associates Heatpulse 8800i Rapid Thermal Anneal equipment APPLICATIONS: The Heatpulse 8800i system is a versatile tool which can be useful for many applications, such as (but not limited to): • Silicon dielectric growth • Implant annealing • Glass re-flow • Silicide formation and annealing • Nitridation of metals • Contact alloying • Oxygen donor annihilation

Configuration

The following are the operating specifications for the Heatpulse® 8800 system. Wafer handling: automatic serial processing, using standard cassettes. Throughput: Process dependent, approximately 80 wafers per hour (in a null cycle) without flat-finder. Wafer sizes: 5 inches, 6 inches, and 8 inches (standard). Ramp-up rate: Programmable, 1 – 180°C per second. Steady-state duration: 1 – 600 seconds per step. Ramp-down rate: Programmable, 1 – 180°C per second. Ramp-down rate is temperature and radiation dependent, maximum 150°C per second. Recommended steady-state temperature range: 400 – 1200°C. ERP temperature accuracy: +3°C to -7°C, when calibrated against an instrumented thermocouple wafer (ITC). Temperature repeatability: + 3°C or better at 1150°C wafer to wafer. (Repetition specifications are based on a 100-wafer set.) Temperature uniformity: + 5°C across an 8-inch wafer at 1150°C. (This is a 1-sigma deviation from 100-angstrom oxide uniformity.) For a titanium silicidation process, no more than 1.5 percent increase to uniformity during the first anneal at 650 – 700°C.

OEM Model Description

The Heatpulse 8800i and 8108i enable chipmakers to achieve significant savings in facility costs by combining the RTP system and Asyst's SMIF-Enclosure mini-environment into one integrated system, thereby reducing total system footprint, while increasing overall fab cleanliness. The Heatpulse 8800i and 8108i utilize the company's patented cross lamp oven and individual zone control to generate temperature uniformity. Both systems address the parameters for process repeatability, slip-free processing, and contamination control.