Patent ID: 8759198

Claim:
A method for fabricating an integrated circuit (IC), comprising: initial oxidizing of a semiconductor surface of a substrate; heating said substrate after said initial oxidizing using a plurality of furnace processing steps which each include a peak processing temperature between 800° C. and 1300° C.; said furnace processing steps including: at least one accelerated processing step having an accelerated ramp portion in a temperature range between 800° C. and 1250° C. providing an accelerated ramp-up rate or |accelerated ramp-down rate| of at least (≧) 5.5° C./min; and performing at least one of (i) an epitaxial deposition and (ii) a rapid thermal process (RTP), laser anneal, and flash anneal at a peak processing temperature of 1050 to 1300° C.; wherein said accelerated ramp portion comprises both an accelerated ramp-up portion and an accelerated ramp-down portion both providing said accelerated ramp-up rate or said |accelerated ramp-down rate| of at least (≧) 5.5° C./min, wherein a total thermal budget for said method above (>) 600° C. is greater than 3,000 minutes, and wherein said accelerated processing step includes at least a first moderated ramp rate portion in a temperature range above a temperature range of said accelerated ramp-up portion having a ramp rate below said accelerated ramp-up rate, and least a second moderated ramp rate portion in a temperature range above a temperature range of said accelerated ramp-down portion having a ramp rate below said |accelerated ramp-down rate|.