Abstract:
A lamp device for thermal processing of a substrate is provided. The lamp device includes a bulb enclosing a filament, the filament having a pair of leads. The lamp device further includes a lamp base. The lamp base includes a seal connecting the bulb to the lamp base; a sleeve having one or more walls and two ends with one end surrounding the seal; a potting compound filling the sleeve; one or more wires distributed through the sleeve and the potting compound and coupled to the pair of leads; and one or more hookable features located within 10 mm of the sealing end.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/922,425, filed Dec. 31, 2013, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     Aspects of the embodiments described relate generally to lamp devices used for thermal processing of semiconductor substrates. More particularly, the embodiments described relate to lamp devices having features that simplify removal of a lamp device from thermal processing chambers when the lamp device fails. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Rapid thermal processing (RTP) is one thermal processing technique that allows rapid heating and cooling of a substrate, such as a silicon wafer. RTP wafer processing applications include annealing, dopant activation, rapid thermal oxidation, and silicidation among others. Typical peak processing temperatures can range from about 450° C. to 1100° C. The heating is typically done in a RTP chamber with lamp devices disposed above or below the substrate being processed. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic front view of a traditional lamp  50  used in an RTP chamber (not shown). The bulb  70  is connected to a lamp base  60  through a seal  80 . The lamp  50  also has typical features of lamps, such as filament (not shown) in the bulb  70  and wires (not shown) to connect the filament to electrical power. The lamp base  60  is coupled to a plug  90 , which is coupled to electrical power (not shown) when the lamp  50  is in use. 
     A common problem with all lamps is eventual lamp failure. When a RTP chamber uses lamps to heat the substrate from below, access to remove the lamp is often limited the areas around the bulb. For example, when a lamp, such as lamp  50 , fails in a RTP chamber, lamp  50  can be removed with a hose having a suction end to grip the bulb  70 . A problem arises when the bulb  70  breaks or another issue prevents removal of lamp  50  by using a suction device. Often the chamber housing lamp  50  will have to be disassembled to remove a lamp  50  with a broken bulb  70 . Disassembling a chamber to remove a lamp is time consuming and is not cost effective. 
     Therefore, a need exists for improved lamps that simplify removal of the lamps from thermal processing chambers. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one embodiment, a lamp device for thermal processing of a substrate is provided. The lamp device includes a bulb enclosing a filament, the filament having a pair of leads. The lamp device further includes a lamp base. The lamp base includes a seal connecting the bulb to the lamp base; a sleeve having one or more walls and two ends with one end surrounding the seal; a potting compound filling the sleeve; one or more wires distributed through the sleeve and the potting compound and coupled to the pair of leads; and one or more hookable features located within 10 mm of the sealing end. 
     In another embodiment, a lamp device for thermal processing of a substrate is provided. The lamp device includes a bulb enclosing a filament, the filament having a pair of leads. The lamp device further includes a lamp base. The lamp base includes a seal connecting the bulb to the lamp base; a sleeve extending around a longitudinal axis and having a first end and a second end, the first end being opposite of the second end, wherein the first end surrounds the seal; a potting compound filling the sleeve; and one or more hookable features located within 10 mm of the first end. 
     In another embodiment, a lamp device for thermal processing of a substrate is provided. The lamp device includes a bulb enclosing a filament, the filament having a pair of leads. The lamp device further includes a lamp base. The lamp base includes a seal connecting the bulb to the lamp base; a sleeve extending around a longitudinal axis and having a first end and a second end, the first end being opposite of the second end, wherein the first end surrounds the seal; a potting compound filling the sleeve; and one or more tabs having one or more holes, the one or more holes located within 10 mm of the first end, wherein the one or more tabs extend from the first end and are angled towards the longitudinal axis. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       So that the manner in which the recited features of the embodiments described above can be understood in detail, a more particular description, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the following embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope to exclude other equally effective embodiments. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic front view of a traditional lamp used in thermal processing chambers. 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of a lamp according to one embodiment. 
         FIGS. 3A-3D  are partial perspective views illustrating lamps according to different embodiments. 
     
    
    
     To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements disclosed in one embodiment may be beneficially utilized on other embodiments without specific recitation. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An improved lamp is described that provides advantages in removing such lamps from the thermal processing chambers that house the lamps. 
       FIG. 2  is a sectional view of a lamp  100  used in an RTP chamber (not shown) according to one embodiment. The lamp  100  includes a bulb  110  and a lamp base  130 . The bulb  110  is connected to the lamp base  130  through a seal  136 . The lamp base  130  includes a sleeve  131  surrounding a longitudinal axis (not shown), the sleeve  131  having one or more sleeve walls  132 , a sealing end  134  (also referred to as a first end), and a plug end  138  (also referred to as a second end) opposite of the sealing end  134 . The sealing end  134  surrounds the seal  136 . A cross section of sleeve  131  could be circular, square, rectangular or any shape that sleeves typically have. The plug end  138  is coupled to a plug  120 . A potting compound  140  fills the sleeve  131  including the area between the one or more sleeve walls  132  and the seal  136 . The bulb  110 , and sleeve  131  could be coaxial and share the same longitudinal axis that the sleeve  131  surrounds. 
     The bulb  110  encloses a filament  112 . The filament  112  is coupled to a pair of leads  114 ( a,b ). The pair of leads  114 ( a,b ) are coupled to a pair of wires  118 ( a,b ) through filament connectors  116 ( a,b ). The wires  118 ( a,b ) are coupled to plug  120  through plug connectors  122  ( a,b ). Plug  120  is coupled to electrical power (not shown) to power the lamp  100  during use. 
     To ease removal of lamp  100  from a thermal processing chamber (not shown), lamp base  130  further includes a hookable feature  180 . Hookable feature  180  is an addition or modification to lamp base  130 , allowing the lamp  100  to be removed from the chamber through the use of a hook (not shown). Hookable feature  180  is placed between about 1 mm and 20 mm from sealing end  134 , for example 10 mm. In some embodiments, hookable feature  180  could be located within 5 mm of sealing end  134  or within 2 mm of sealing end  134 . Hookable feature  180  is displayed as a loop  182  extending from the sealing end  134  of sleeve  131  in  FIG. 2 , but the hookable feature  180  can take a variety of forms. The following paragraphs provide some examples of the variety of forms that hookable feature  180  can take. 
       FIGS. 3A-3D  are partial perspective views of lamp devices according to different embodiments. 
       FIG. 3A  is a partial perspective view of a lamp  210 . Lamp  210  is similar to lamp  100  except the lamp  210  has one or more holes  212  through sleeve wall  132  as the hookable feature  180  instead of a loop  182 . The distance  202  between the hookable feature  180 , (the top of the hole  212  in this embodiment) and the sealing end  134  could be between 1 mm and 20 mm, for example 10 mm. A hook (not shown) could be inserted into hole  212  from the outside of sleeve  131 . Alternatively, a hook could used to remove some potting compound  140  and the hook could be inserted through hole  212  from the inside of sleeve  131 . 
       FIG. 3B  is a partial perspective view of a lamp  220 . Lamp  220  is similar to lamp  100  except the lamp  220  has a tab  222  with a hole  224  extending from the sealing end  134  of sleeve  131  as the hookable feature  180  instead of a loop  182 . Lamp  220  could have more than one tab and tab  222  could have more than one hole. The bulb  110 , the seal  136 , and the lamp base  130  could all be disposed along a longitudinal axis  208 . The tab  222  could be angled towards longitudinal axis  208  as displayed in  FIG. 3B . Alternatively, tab  222  could be parallel to or angled away from longitudinal axis  208 . Sleeve  131  could be a four-sided figure having two short sides  233  and two long sides  235 , wherein all four sides  233 ,  235  surround the longitudinal axis  208 . The hookable feature  180  could be attached to or distributed through one of the short sides  233  or one of the long sides  235 . For example, tab  222  is displayed extending from the sealing end  134  of one of the short sides  233 . The distance  202  between the hookable feature  180 , (the top of the hole  224  in this embodiment) and the sealing end  134  could be between 1 mm and 20 mm, for example 10 mm. 
       FIG. 3C  is a partial perspective view of a lamp  230 . Lamp  230  is similar to lamp  100  except the lamp  230  has a collar  232  with a hole  234  extending from the sealing end  134  of sleeve  131  as the hookable feature  180  instead of a loop  182 . Lamp  220  could have more than one collar and collar  232  could have more than one hole. The bulb  110 , the seal  136 , and the lamp base  130  could all be disposed along a longitudinal axis  208 . The collar  232  could be angled towards longitudinal axis  208  as displayed in  FIG. 3C . Alternatively, collar  232  could be parallel to or angled away from longitudinal axis  208 . The distance  202  between the hookable feature  180 , (the top of the hole  234  in this embodiment) and the sealing end  134  could be between 1 mm and 20 mm, for example 10 mm. 
       FIG. 3D  is a partial perspective view of a lamp  240 . Lamp  240  is similar to lamp  100  except the lamp  240  has a weakened region  242  on a sleeve wall  132  as the hookable feature  180  instead of a loop  182 . The weakened region  242  could comprise a plurality of perforations  244  or scored lines (not shown) in sleeve wall  132  that could make sleeve  131  easy to puncture by a hook (not shown). Weakened region  242  could also comprise a recess or dimple (not shown) in sleeve wall  132  that could be easily punctured by a hook. Alternatively a recess or dimple that is not weakened, but is configured to be hooked could be used. Such a non-weakened recess or dimple could have a lip, rim or other feature that enables a hook to catch. The distance  202  between the hookable feature  180 , (the top of weakened region  242  in this embodiment) and the sealing end  134  could be between 1 mm and 20 mm, for example 10 mm. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3A , lamp  100  could include more than one hookable feature  180 . If there is more than one hookable feature  180 , then the hookable feature could be of the same kind or of different kinds. For example, lamp  100  could include more than one loop  182  or lamp  100  could include a loop  182  and a hole  212 . Different hookable features could provide different advantages to ease removal of the same lamp  100  in different equipment or different situations. 
     While the foregoing is directed to typical embodiments, other and further embodiments may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.