Patent ID: 7414224

Claim:
A rapid thermal processing apparatus for heating substrates having a front side with a plurality of integrated circuit die arranged on the front side except for an edge exclusion zone on a periphery of the substrate and a backside, the apparatus comprising: a radiant heat source comprising a plurality of controlled lamps arranged in zones directing radiant energy toward the backside of the substrate and configured to be quickly turned on and off to controllably heat the substrate to above 1000° C. within a minute or less; a reflector disposed above said radiant heat source; a support defining an annular shelf for holding a substrate between said reflector and said radiant heat source with the front side of said substrate facing said reflector and the annular shelf configured to support the substrate at the edges and within the edge exclusion zone such that the annular shelf does not contact the die; and a plurality of pyrometers coupled through optical light pipes positioned to face the front side of the substrate and in communication with the lamps to permit dynamic control of radiant heating intensity during processing, including an outermost light pipe positioned to measure temperature from the support.