Patent Abstract:
In a rapid thermal processing system an array of heat lamps generate radiant heat for heating the surfaces of a semiconductor substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, to a selected temperature or set of temperatures while held within an enclosed chamber. The heat lamps are surrounded individually or in groups by one or more optically transparent enclosures that isolate the heat lamps from the chamber environment and the wafer or wafers therein. The optically transparent enclosures may include associated reflectors and/or lenses to direct a higher proportion of emitted radiant heat energy from the lamps toward the semiconductor wafer(s). Thin planar quartz liners may also be interposed between the lamps and the substrate. By controlling radiant energy distribution within the chamber, and eliminating thick planar quartz windows commonly used to isolate the lamps in prior art RTP systems, higher processing rates and improved reliability are obtained.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the manufacture of integrated circuits. Specifically, a system for heating semiconductor substrates in a controlled pressure and temperature environment is disclosed. 
     The manufacture of integrated circuits, such as metal oxide semiconductors (MOS), requires rapid thermal processing of semiconductor wafers in a controlled pressure environment, such as vacuum. For instance, in the process of forming MOS transistors, the gate oxide layer is typically formed by thermal oxidation of a silicon substrate in a substantially pure oxygen atmosphere. However, in certain applications such as MOS ULSI circuits, the gate oxide layers can exhibit undesirable characteristics, such as relatively high defect densities and charge trapping, along with relatively low reliability and resistance problems due to hot carrier effects. 
     It is known that the gate dielectric characteristics of MOS transistors can be improved using a sequence of rapid thermal processing (RTP) of the silicon substrate. These processing steps include: (1) creating an oxynitride growth with nitric oxide (NO); (2) applying silicon nitride (SiN) with a chemical vaport deposition (CVD) process; (3) annealing with ammonia (NH 3 ); and (4) annealing with N 2 O. The various RTP processing steps are conducted generally in a vacuum with a controlled temperature. An RTP oven is partitioned with quartz windows defining a central vacuum chamber that holds a wafer to be heated by multiple arrays of radiant heating lamps. The quartz windows separate the wafers from heating lamps and other sources of contaminants during the heating process. The edges of the quartz windows are sealed with the chamber walls to form an air-tight chamber enclosure. When a vacuum is drawn in the chamber, an atmospheric force between two and four tons is produced against the quartz windows. The quartz windows are thick enough to withstand this force, and are generally at least about 25 mm to 35 mm thick. Thinner quartz windows, generally at least about 3 mm to 6 mm thick, are used only for chambers that operate at atmospheric pressures. 
     The quartz window isolation chamber structure, while maintaining the inner chamber environment clean of contaminants, introduces a large thermal mass between the heating source (lamps) and the wafer within the chamber, making heating less efficient and wafer temperature control more difficult. The additional thermal mass makes it difficult to maintain process repeatability and quality control. The quartz windows, due to their thickness, are subject to breakage, and add significant cost to the RTP apparatus. Accordingly, a system for rapid thermal processing which avoids the complications, expense, and repeatability problems created by quartz window-based ovens would be desirable. 
     Moreover, efforts to increase throughput for semiconductor wafer RTP processing have yielded certain alternatives other than lamp-based heating. Mattson Technology offers an ASPEN II RTP system that processes two wafers in a single process chamber using susceptor-based heating. U.S. Pat. No. 6,133,550 discloses a method for RTP processing wafers by rapidly inserting and removing them from a furnace. Increasing wafer size and increasing stresses on larger and larger chamber windows for chambers to accommodate larger wafers have limited the potential for increasing throughput for lamp-based RTP systems by processing multiple wafers in a chamber. Accordingly, a system for lamp-based rapid thermal processing that permits increased wafer throughput would also be desirable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The rapid thermal processing (RTP) system according to the invention provides a controlled pressure and temperature environment for processing substrates, such as semiconductor wafers and integrated circuits. The apparatus includes a heating chamber and an array of heat lamps that generate radiant heat for maintaining the temperature of a semiconductor wafer held within the chamber at a selected value or range of values according to a desired heating recipe. Each heat lamp includes a bulb, and at least such bulb is surrounded by an optically transparent enclosure that isolates the bulb from the interior of the chamber and the wafer therein. Preferably, the optically transparent enclosure is formed from quartz and has a surface completely or substantially transparent to the radiant heat energy emitted by the bulb. By isolating the chamber interior and the wafer therein from the bulb and associated components of the heating lamp, the optically transparent enclosure helps prevent contaminants from the heating lamps from entering the chamber or being deposited on a semiconductor wafer in the chamber. 
     In another aspect of the invention, improved temperature control is realized by using heat lamps with bulbs having a reflector surface disposed over at least a portion of the bulb surface or disposed over at least a portion of the optically transparent enclosure. The reflectors help to control and direct radiation from the lamps to the surface of a semiconductor wafer under process. Alternatively, the reflector surface may be found on the wall of the chamber, particularly within a cavity in the chamber wall with a concavely-shaped or parabolic-shaped inner surface. When the heat lamps are positioned within the cavity, the reflector surface on the cavity wall helps to control and direct radiation from the lamps to the surface of a semiconductor wafer under process. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the optically transparent enclosure surrounding the bulb is formed into a lens structure that concentrates the radiant heat emitted from the bulb onto the semiconductor wafer surface. The lens structure may be formed as a convexly-curved cover over the opening to the cavity in the chamber wall when the heat lamp is held within such cavity. Alternatively, the lens structure may be formed as a sold block or piece of optically transparent material, such as quartz, with an open inner core portion to house a heat lamp, wherein one side surface of said block is formed into a convexly-shaped or concavely-shaped lens to direct or control radiant heat energy emitted from the bulb toward a semiconductor wafer being processed. 
     In yet another embodiment of the invention, an optically transparent liner is interposed between an array of the enclosed heating lamps and the single wafer or multiple wafers in the processing chamber enclosure. The optically transparent liner is provided in addition to the optically transparent enclosures surrounding the bulbs, and further isolates the bulbs from the wafer to further restrict contaminants from reaching the wafer surface. The optically transparent liner differs from the quartz windows of the prior art because it is not sealed to the chamber sidewalls, and may therefore be formed as a thinner piece because it does not need to withstand great pressure differentials when a vacuum is drawn in the chamber. If the optically transparent liner is sealed to the chamber sidewalls, a series of valves are provided in addition to the pump to equalize the pressures of each side of the liner, thereby preventing damaging forces that otherwise would be caused by pressure differentials. Alternatively, to avoid undue stresses, a series of multiple optically transparent liners with smaller surface areas may also be used in combination with the bulbs. 
     Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the description is to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional prior art rapid thermal processing system providing a controlled temperature and pressure environment for semiconductor wafers; 
     FIG. 2 is a section view of a rapid thermal processing system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2A is a partial cross-sectional view in side elevation taken along line  2 A to  2 A of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 3 is a section view of an alternate embodiment of the rapid thermal processing system; 
     FIG. 4 is a section view of a heat lamp for directing radiant energy to a semiconductor wafer within the rapid thermal processing system; 
     FIG. 5 is a section view of an alternate embodiment of the heat lamp for directing radiant energy to a semiconductor wafer within the rapid thermal processing system; 
     FIG. 6 is a section view of a heat lamp having a reflector for directing radiant energy; 
     FIG. 7 is a section view of a heat lamp having another arrangement for directing radiant energy to a semiconductor wafer in a rapid thermal processing system. 
     FIG. 8 is a section view of a heat lamp with yet another arrangement of a reflector for directing radiant energy to a semiconductor wafer in a rapid thermal processing system; 
     FIG. 9 is a cross-section view of an array of heat lamps embedded within the wall of a rapid thermal processing system chamber; 
     FIG. 10A is a section view of the heat lamp and quartz enclosure supported on the chamber wall of a rapid thermal processing system; 
     FIG. 10B is a section view of the quartz enclosed heat lamp in an alternate arrangement partially embedded in the chamber wall; 
     FIG. 10C is a section view of the quartz enclosed heat lamp in yet another alternate arrangement completely embedded in a cavity in the chamber wall; 
     FIG. 10D is a section view of the heat lamp embedded within a cavity in the chamber wall and with a quartz window covering an opening to the cavity; 
     FIG. 10E is a section view of the heat lamp embedded in the chamber wall and having a lens for controlling dispersion of radiant energy emitted from the lamp; 
     FIG. 10F is a section view of multiple lamps within a single quartz enclosure supported on the chamber wall; 
     FIG. 11A is a section view of a point lamp enclosed by a quartz lens; 
     FIG. 11B is a section view of a lamp embedded in a light pipe and enclosed by a quartz lens; 
     FIG. 11C is a section view of a lamp within a light pipe and having a lens at the distal end of the light pipe; 
     FIG. 11D is a section view of an alternate arrangement with a lamp embedded in a cavity in the chamber wall and surrounded by a quartz lens; 
     FIG. 12 is a section view of a heat lamp in a diverging quartz lens; 
     FIG. 13 is a section view of an alternate embodiment having a lamp within a quartz enclosure surrounded by a cooling source and embedded in a cavity in the chamber wall; 
     FIG. 14 is a bottom plan view of the chamber wall of an alternate rapid thermal processing system according to the invention showing point lamps held within channels in the chamber wall, wherein said channels are covered with optically transparent enclosures; 
     FIG. 15 is a section view of another alternate rapid thermal processing system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, showing two wafers held within the chamber; and 
     FIG. 16 is a section view of yet another alternate rapid thermal processing system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, showing a series of optically transparent liners in combination with a series of point-source heating lamps. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In accordance with the prior art, FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section view of an apparatus  10  for performing rapid thermal processing (RTP) of a semiconductor wafer  7 . The apparatus  10  provides a housing  12  defining a central chamber  11  in which a wafer is placed for processing. Door slot  26  at a first end of vacuum chamber  11  permits the wafer  7  to be loaded into the chamber  11  and located on supporting pins  25  on the rotor  23 . The rotor  23  is supported for rotation on a pin  24  fixed to a boss  21   a  extending from quartz window  21  through an opening in quartz pad  27 . 
     Quartz window  21  forms the lower boundary of the vacuum chamber  11 , and is sealed with respect to the remaining chamber components by seals  28 . The upper boundary of the chamber  11  is formed with a quartz window  20 . Quartz windows  20 ,  21  are optically transparent and permit radiant heat energy to pass into the chamber  11 . Processing gases such as nitric oxide (NO), ammonia (NH 3 ), or N 2 O are introduced into the chamber  11  during the wafer processing through an opening  13  at a second end of the chamber  11 . 
     The radiant heat source for the apparatus  10  comprises first and second substantially parallel lamp arrays  17  and  18  located within the housing  12 , but outside of the chamber  11 , and supported by the inner walls of the apparatus  10 . Additional radiant heat is provided by longitudinal side lamps  14  having reflectors  15  supported by the wall of the apparatus  10 . A vacuum port (not shown) permits a vacuum to be drawn within the chamber  11 , resulting in significant atmospheric forces acting against the quartz windows  20  and  21 . 
     The quartz windows  20  and  21  have a sufficient thickness with adequate mechanical strength to isolate the chamber from any external contamination. They are usually at least 3 mm to 6 mm thick. As the demands for larger semiconductor wafer sizes and higher wafer throughput in the rapid thermal processing system increase, the cross sectional area increases. In addition, low pressure process chambers are required to be compatible with vacuum load-locks and wafer transfer modules to enhance throughput. The thickness of quartz windows  20  and  21  required for low pressure RTP apparatus will need to be significantly increased to meet these requirements. When a vacuum is drawn in the RTP chamber, an atmospheric force of between two and four tons is produced against the quartz windows. These windows must be thick enough to withstand this force, and are generally from 25 mm to 35 mm thick. As the thickness of the quartz windows increases, the distance between the arrays of heating lamps  17 ,  18  and the chamber  11  also increases. Moreover, the thicker windows provide a large thermal mass, making control over the wafer temperature more difficult. Therefore, the present inventors sought to overcome these disadvantages. 
     In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the invention, the quartz windows  20 ,  21  of conventional RTP apparatus (FIG. 1) may be eliminated. Referring now to FIG. 2, the RTP apparatus  60  of the first embodiment of the invention has a chamber  62  that includes wafer holders  65  to support the semiconductor wafer  64  during thermal processing. Wafer  64  is loaded into the chamber  62  through a door slot or opening  67 . Optically transparent liners  66  and  68 , which may be quartz, do not form a pressure sealing surface with the chamber  62 , but are supported within the chamber  62  so that the pressure is equalized on each side of the liners  66  and  68 . Thus, the liners  66  and  68  may be thinner, and have less thermal mass, than the conventional chamber quartz windows that must sustain large atmospheric pressure differentials but still assist in maintaining the wafers free of contamination. The liners have a thickness preferably of about 0.25 mm to 2.0 mm, most preferably of about 1.0 to 2.0 mm, and may be formed of silicon carbide (SiC) or other ceramic materials that are optically transparent and able to withstand typical rapid thermal processing temperatures, that can exceed 1000° C. 
     In the embodiment of FIG. 2, first and second arrays of light sources, such as tungsten halogen heating lamps or Xenon arc lamps, are provided along the top and bottom of the chamber  62 , i.e., above and below the wafer supports  65 . The arrays of light sources along the top and bottom of the chamber  62  supply direct radiant heat to the wafer  64  as the wafer is held on the wafer supports  65 . Each light source includes a linear lamp  70 ,  72  within an optically transparent enclosure (such as a quartz tube)  74 ,  76  on the top and bottom of chamber  62 . The quartz tubes  74 ,  76  individually surround each lamp  70 ,  72 , and are sealed to the sidewalls of chamber  62  with seals  78 ,  80 , thus maintaining both the area surrounding the quartz tubes  74 ,  76  and the remaining portion of the chamber  62  at the same pressure, preferably under vacuum. The top and bottom walls  91 ,  93  of the chamber  62  may be coated with a reflective coating  69 , such as metallic gold or other infrared reflective coatings, such as TiO 2  and Al 2 O 3 . As best seen in FIG. 2A, the lamps  70 ,  72  preferably are disposed in parallel relation, with each enclosed lamp spaced apart only slightly from an adjacent enclosed lamp, and spaced apart from the top wall and bottom wall, respectively, of the chamber and reflective coating  69 . While each of the arrays are shown in parallel, it is of course possible to have the arrays oriented in a perpendicular or other non-parallel relationship. In addition, a first parallel array adjacent to the top wall  91  of the chamber may be parallel to a second parallel array adjacent to the bottom wall  93  of the chamber. Nevertheless, the lamps of the second parallel array may be arranged transversely to the lamps of the first parallel array. 
     Individual cooling channels having an inlet  82  and an outlet  84  circulate cooling fluid, such as a liquid like water or a cooling oil, or a gas with suitable thermal conductivity like air, or a mixture of air and helium or hydrogen, through each quartz tube  74 ,  76  to cool the lamps  70 ,  72 . The cooling fluid may have light refractive properties, and the path of flow of the cooling fluid may be designed to direct radiant heat or light emitted from the lamp bulbs  70 ,  72  toward the semiconductor wafer  64 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 2 and 2A, the chamber  62  has first and second arrays of quartz enclosures  74 ,  76 , with each quartz enclosure containing a respective lamp  70 ,  72 . The quartz enclosures  74 ,  76 , and liners  66 ,  68 , help to isolate the lamp bulbs from the chamber  62  so as to maintain the inner portion of the chamber  62  that houses the wafer during RTP processing free from contaminants without introducing large thermal masses between the light source(s) and the wafer. 
     Optional vacuum lines  101  may be used to evacuate gases from the chamber  62  to draw a vacuum within the chamber. The vacuum lines are shown in phantom outline in FIG.  2 A. 
     Although not shown in FIG. 2, it is of course possible to use liners with different thicknesses to isolate the first and second lamp arrays from the chamber  62 . For example, a thinner liner with a nominal thickness of 0.25 mm may be suitable to isolate the first lamp array, and may have the advantage of permitting a faster temperature response and higher temperature ramp up. 
     FIG. 3 is a section view of an alternate embodiment  90  of the invention which provides for additional contamination protection for a wafer  64  supported on the wafer supports  65 . In the embodiment of FIG. 3, windows  86  and  88  fully extend to the sides of the housing defining the chambers  62 ,  95  to form a sealed enclosure for the wafer supports  65  to better isolate the wafer  64  and wafer supports  65  from contaminants that might be emitted by the lamps  70 ,  72  or enclosures  74 ,  76  surrounding the lamps. To maintain pressure equilibrium on each side of the windows  86  and  88 , thereby avoiding the need for thick and thermally massive quartz windows as were used in prior art RTP apparatus, the pressures on both sides of quartz windows  86  and  88  are controlled. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a vacuum is drawn through pressure pump  92 , and regulators  94  and  96  equalize the pressure on each side of the window plates  86  and  88  through conducting lines  98 ,  100  and  102 . Appropriate seals  104  between the sidewalls of the chambers  62  and  95  and the windows  86 ,  88  maintain a substantially contaminant free environment under vacuum within the chambers  62  and  95 . 
     As a further enhancement to the apparatus for rapid thermal processing, the amount of radiant energy delivered from the lamps  70 ,  72  to the chamber  62  containing the wafer  64  may be optimized by varying the characteristics of the envelope encompassing the lamp bulbs. FIG. 4 represents a section view of one of the transparent enclosures  74  from one of the lamp arrays  70 . In this embodiment, the transparent enclosure is a quartz tube  74   a  that has been coated on an inner surface with a reflective coating  106  that helps to direct radiant energy from the bulb  70  to the wafer  64  on the wafer supports  65 . Preferred reflective coating materials are gold, or other infrared reflective coatings, such as TiO 2  and Al 2 O 3 . The inner reflective coating  106  is shown covering less than 180° of the quartz tube  74   a  as defined by angle A in FIG.  4 . Preferably, angle A is within the range of about 160 to 180°. By controlling the radiant energy intensity within the area in which the wafer is processed, improved temperature stability may be realized, resulting in better process repeatability. 
     FIG. 5 is a section view of an alternative arrangement in which a reflective coating  108  is applied to the outside surface of a lamp bulb  70   a  to direct radiant energy towards the wafer held within the chamber  62 . 
     FIG. 6 shows in section view another embodiment in which a reflective coating  110  is applied to coat the outside surface of the transparent enclosure  74   b  surrounding the lamp bulb  70 . Coating the outside surface directs radiant energy toward the wafer in the chamber  62 , but with a different pattern than that produced when a coating  106  is applied to the inner surface of the transparent enclosure  74   a  (shown in FIG.  4 ). 
     A parabolic reflector  112  may be provided adjacent to the transparent enclosure  74  surrounding the bulb  70 . As shown in FIG. 7, the parabolic reflector  112  serves to direct emitted radiation toward the wafer in straighter, more parallel paths, as compared to the reflective coating  110  applied to the outside surface of the transparent enclosure in FIG. 6, which reflects radiation in more divergent paths. Parabolic reflectors that direct emitted radiation toward the wafer in straighter, more parallel paths are preferred. 
     The benefits of straighter, more parallel paths for radiation may be obtained even when the reflective coating  110  is applied to the outer surface of the transparent enclosure  74   b  by introducing straight reflectors  114  adjacent to the transparent enclosure  74   b  as shown in FIG.  8 . The straight reflectors  114  in combination with the reflective coating serve to direct the emitted radiation toward the semiconductor wafer. When the reflectors  114  are disposed between adjacent transparent enclosures in an array of enclosed lamps, the reflective surfaces of the reflectors  114  redirect some divergent radiation rays toward the wafer  64  in the chamber  62 . 
     The top and bottom walls of the apparatus  60  or  90  alternatively may be formed as one or a series of channel-like cavities of parabolic reflective shapes  116 , as shown best in FIG.  9 . FIG. 9 is a cross section of taken from an end elevation of the upper portion of a chamber. In such an embodiment, each lamp  70  enclosed within a transparent enclosure  74  is held within a parabolic channel  116  formed within the chamber wall  93 . With fewer separate parts for assembly, this embodiment may produce fewer contaminants than when the reflective structure is formed from separate parts or separate coatings associated with the transparent enclosures around the lamps. In addition, the openings of the parabolic channels  116  may also be covered with an optically transparent window (not shown in FIG.  9 ). 
     The foregoing embodiments, which provide for individual sealing of linear lamps with optically transparent enclosures, such as quartz tubes, eliminate the thicker and expensive quartz plates or windows used in conventional systems. Moreover, the optically transparent enclosures around the lamps can have cross-sectional shapes that improve the ability of the enclosures to withstand higher atmospheric pressures. For example, circular or parabolic cross-sectional shapes can withstand greater pressures than other cross sectional shapes with flatter surfaces. Nevertheless, other cross sectional shapes may also be used depending on the extent of the vacuum drawn or pressure differential between the chamber interior and exterior. 
     FIGS. 10A-10F illustrate various embodiments for supporting a linear lamp  70  on or within the wall  93  of the chamber  62 . FIG. 10A shows a bulb  70  surrounded by a quartz tube  74  and positioned closely adjacent to the side wall  93  of the chamber. Alternatively, FIG. 10B shows a bulb  70  surrounded by a quartz tube  74 , wherein the tube is embedded partially within a cavity formed within the sidewall  93  of the chamber. As yet another alternative, FIG. 10C shows a bulb  70  surrounded by a quartz tube  74 , wherein the tube is completely embedded within an arcuate cavity  118  formed within the sidewall  93  of the chamber. The arcuate cavity  118  has a depth sufficient to hold the entire tube  74 . 
     In FIG. 10D the bulb  70  is held within a cavity  118  with an arcuate base. The opening of the cavity  118  is sealed with a flat cover  120  formed of optically transparent material, such as quartz. In such embodiment, there is no tube enclosing the bulb, but the bulb is isolated from the interior of the chamber by the cover  120 . As an alternate to this approach, in FIG. 10E, the bulb  70  is held within a cavity  118  with an arcuate base formed within the wall  93  of the chamber, and a curved cover  122  of transparent material, such as quartz, seals the cavity opening. The curved cover  122  is preferably shaped as a convexly curved lens, to help focus and direct radiant energy from the lamp bulb  70  to the wafer held within the chamber. 
     Further efficiencies may result by enclosing multiple lamp bulbs within a single transparent enclosure. FIG. 10F shows bulbs  70   c  and  70   d  enclosed within quartz tube  74 . The tube  74  is positioned closely adjacent the wall  93  of the chamber. Multiple lamps in a lamp array may be used as a heating source in the RTP system, but the benefits of the invention do not require a one to one relationship between the transparent enclosure and the bulb surrounded by such enclosure. 
     Rather than a tube-like structure, the optically transparent enclosure may be formed in other geometric shapes with varying cross-sections. For example, in FIG. 12, the bulb  70  may be held within a cavity formed within a solid piece  124  of an optically transparent material. The solid piece is attached to the wall  93  of the chamber, and has been shaped on one side to form a concavely curved lens to help direct and focus radiant energy emitted by the bulb  70 . 
     In yet another embodiment shown in FIG. 13, a solid block  126  of optically transparent material is held within a cavity  130  formed within the wall  93  of the chamber. A bulb  70  is held within a hollow portion of the solid block. The cooling channels  128  are provided within the cavity  130  and around the solid block  126  to permit flow of a cooling fluid, such as liquid or gas, to help to cool the block  126  and the lamp bulb  70 . Preferably, the cooling channels  128  are held within a potting or sealing material  129  that seals the block  126  within the cavity  130 . 
     The principle of the invention can be equally applied to point lamps, rather than the linear lamps shown in the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3. The top wall  144  of an RTP system  140  that uses point lamps  142  as the heating source is shown in FIG.  14 . In such an embodiment, the bulbs  142  are held within sockets so that the bulb portion extends perpendicularly to the semiconductor substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, held within a chamber for processing. As shown in FIG. 14, the bulbs are aligned in rows and held within troughs. As one embodiment of the invention using an RTP system  140  with point lamps  142 , strips of transparent optical enclosure material (not shown) cover the troughs holding the bulbs to isolate the bulbs from the chamber holding the wafer to be processed. 
     Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11A, each individual lamp bulb  142  held within a socket (not shown) in the wall  144  can be enclosed within an optically transparent enclosure  146  to isolate the lamp  142  from the interior of the chamber. To help direct radiant energy emitted from the lamp bulb  142  toward the wafer to be processed, the bulb  142  may be held within a light pipe  148 , and the bulb and light pipe together enclosed within an optically transparent enclosure as shown in FIG.  11 B. In FIGS. 11A and 11B, the optically transparent enclosure  146  has a curved or parabolic shape to better withstand pressures and forces thereupon when the pressure is changed within the chamber. 
     FIG. 11C shows the arrangement where an individual point lamp  142  is enclosed within a light pipe  148 , wherein the proximal end of the light pipe  148  is attached to the wall  144  of the chamber. The distal end of the light pipe  148  is then enclosed with a curved or parabolic-shaped optically transparent enclosure  150  to seal the cavity formed by the light pipe and the enclosure and isolate bulb  142  from the wafer to prevent contamination from the bulb from reaching the wafer. In FIG. 11D, the point lamp  142  is held within a cavity or recess  152  within the wall  144  of the chamber. A smaller amount of quartz or other optically transparent material may be used in the curved or parabolic-shaped cover  146  to cover the cavity opening and isolate the bulb from the wafer to be processed. 
     While each of the foregoing embodiments of FIGS. 11A-D is shown with a curved quartz enclosure around the point lights  142  or point lights  142  in combination with a light pipe  148 , it is of course possible to locate each of the bulbs within a recess or cavity in the chamber wall  144 , and provide a single flat covering of quartz to seal each of the lamps against the pressure differential within enclosure. 
     The foregoing examples for controlling the dispersion of radiant heat energy from the lamps  70 ,  72 ,  142  are exemplary only. It is clear that a judicious selection of the lamps, reflective coatings, and lens surfaces will provide an even higher degree of control over radiant light into the processing chamber. The foregoing illustrations and descriptions of the preferred embodiments have shown these relationships as fixed. Nevertheless, they may be augmented by positioning devices which move the radiant lamps with respect to reflective surfaces and lenses. While the positions of these elements for controlling light/energy dispersion from the lamps has been described in the context of uniform light distribution over the interior surface of a wafer held within the chamber, such as chamber  62  or chamber  91 , it is clear that the lamps and lamp arrays may be positioned to control the temperature profile within the enclosure. 
     Another alternate embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG.  15 . In this embodiment, throughput is increased by placing two semiconductor wafers  64  onto wafer holders  65  within the chamber for simultaneous processing. Optically transparent liners  66  and  68 , which may be quartz, do not form a pressure sealing surface with the chamber  62 ′, but are supported within the chamber  62 ′ so that the pressure is equalized on each side of the liners  66  and  68 . First and second arrays of light sources, such as tungsten halogen heating lamps or Xenon arc lamps, are provided along the top and bottom of the chamber  62 ′, i.e., above and below the wafer supports  65 . The arrays of light sources along the top and bottom of the chamber  62 ′ supply direct radiant heat to the wafers  64  as the wafers are held on the wafer supports  65 . Each light source includes a linear lamp  70 ,  72  within an optically transparent enclosure (such as a quartz tube)  74 ,  76  on the top and bottom of chamber  62 ′. The quartz tubes  74 ,  76  individually surround each lamp  70 ,  72 , and are sealed to the sidewalls of chamber  62 ′ with seals  78 ,  80 , thus maintaining both the area surrounding the quartz tubes  74 ,  76  and the remaining portion of the chamber  62  at the same pressure, preferably under vacuum. The lamps  70  in the upper array are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the lamps  72  in the lower array. 
     Individual cooling channels having an inlet  82  and an outlet  84  circulate cooling fluid, such as a liquid like water or a cooling oil, or a gas with suitable thermal conductivity like air, or a mixture of air and helium or hydrogen, through each quartz tube  74 ,  76  to cool the lamps  70 ,  72 . The cooling fluid may have light refractive properties, and the path of flow of the cooling fluid may be designed to direct radiant heat or light emitted from the lamp bulbs  70 ,  72  toward the semiconductor wafer  64 . 
     The top and bottom walls  91 ,  93  of the chamber  62  may be coated with a reflective coating  69 , such as metallic gold or other infrared reflective coatings, such as TiO 2  and Al 2 O 3 . 
     As shown in FIG. 15, the chamber  62 ′ has first and second arrays of quartz enclosures  74 ,  76 , with each quartz enclosure containing a respective lamp  70 ,  72 . The quartz enclosures  74 ,  76 , and liners  66 ,  68 , help to isolate the lamp bulbs from the chamber  62  so as to maintain the inner portion of the chamber  62  that houses the wafers during RTP processing free from contaminants without introducing large thermal masses between the light source(s) and the wafers. 
     FIG. 16 shows yet another alternate embodiment of the apparatus, in which a plurality of point lamps  142  held within sockets  160  mounted in the outer walls  162  of the chamber  62 ″ are positioned to direct radiant energy toward a wafer  64  held on wafer supports  65  within the chamber  62 ″. The point lamps  142  preferably are surrounded by quartz envelopes  164  to minimize emission of contaminates. In addition, a series of optically transparent liners  166 , preferably of quartz, are placed over openings in the inner wall  168  of the chamber  62 ″ to further shield the point lamps  142  from the wafer  64  held within the chamber  62 ″. The liners  166  are sealed to the inner wall  168  with seals  169 . Preferably, channels  170 ,  172  formed in the chamber walls permit cooling fluid, such as a gas, to be circulated past the point lamps  142  to cool the lamps  142 . These channels  170 ,  172  also permit gases to be introduced into and removed from the chamber  62 ″ to help stabilize or equalize the pressure in the portions  174  of the chamber  62 ″ enclosing the point lamps  142  and the portion of the chamber  62 ″ enclosing the wafer  64  for processing. 
     The invention also comprises such embodiments in which features of the above mentioned embodiments are exchanged and/or combined in whole or in part. 
     The foregoing description of the invention illustrates and describes the preferred embodiments of the invention. Nevertheless, it is to be understood that the invention is capable of use in various other combinations, modifications, and environments and is capable of changes or modifications within the scope of the inventive concept as expressed herein, commensurate with the above teachings and/or the skill or knowledge of the relevant art. The description is not intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein. Alternate embodiments apparent to those of skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7