Thermal

Process Overview Thermal processing modifies wafer properties through controlled heating and cooling. Think of it as a precision cooking system at the atomic level. Equipment Categories 1. Rapid Th

### Process Overview Thermal processing modifies wafer properties through controlled heating and cooling. Think of it as a precision cooking system at the atomic level. ### Equipment Categories #### 1. Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) - Manufacturers: - Applied Materials (Vantage® Radiance™) - Screen SPE (LA-3100) - ASM International - Cost: $2-4 million - Applications: - Annealing - Oxidation - Silicidation #### 2. Batch Furnaces - Manufacturers: - TEL - ASM International - Kokusai Electric - Cost: $3-6 million - Capacity: 50-150 wafers - Types: - Vertical - Horizontal (legacy) #### 3. Flash Lamp Annealing - Manufacturers: - Screen Holdings - Applied Materials - Cost: $4-7 million - Applications: - Millisecond annealing - Dopant activation ### Technical Specifications #### RTP Systems - Temperature range: 200-1350°C - Ramp rates: up to 400°C/sec - Temperature uniformity: ±1.5°C - Process time: 1-300 seconds - Atmosphere control: N2, O2, Ar, H2 #### Batch Furnaces - Temperature range: 200-1200°C - Ramp rates: 5-25°C/min - Temperature uniformity: ±0.5°C - Process time: 1-8 hours - Batch size: 25-150 wafers ### Gas Systems & Consumables #### Process Gases - Suppliers: - Air Products - Linde - Air Liquide - Types: - N2: $0.5-1/m³ - O2: $1-2/m³ - H2: $5-10/m³ - Specialized gases: $50-200/cylinder #### Quartz Ware - Manufacturers: - Tosoh - Heraeus - Saint-Gobain - Cost: - Tubes: $5,000-15,000 - Boats: $3,000-8,000 - Lifetime: 3-6 months ### Facility Requirements - Class 100 cleanroom - Process gas infrastructure - Cooling water systems - Power: 100-300 kW/tool - Setup cost: $5-10 million ### Temperature Control Systems 1. Pyrometry - Manufacturers: - IRCON - LumaSense - Cost: $20,000-50,000/system 2. Thermocouples - Suppliers: - Omega - Watlow - Cost: $500-2,000/set ### Market Dynamics - Leaders: - Applied Materials (~35%) - TEL (~30%) - ASM International (~20%) - Annual market: ~$2B - Growth areas: Flash annealing, low-thermal budget processes ### Technical Challenges 1. Process Control: - Temperature uniformity - Slip generation - Pattern effects - Process repeatability 2. Advanced Nodes: - Millisecond annealing - Thermal budget reduction - Dopant diffusion control - Stress management ### Applications 1. Front-End: - Gate oxide formation - Source/drain anneal - Well drive-in - Silicide formation 2. Back-End: - Inter-layer dielectric cure - Contact anneal - Passivation ### Future Trends - Laser annealing integration - Real-time monitoring - Predictive maintenance - Green technology adoption ### Maintenance Requirements - Daily: Temperature calibration - Weekly: Quartz cleaning - Monthly: Major PM - Annual cost: $150,000-300,000 ### Process Recipes 1. Oxidation - Temp: 800-1100°C - Time: 10-60 minutes - Atmosphere: O2, H2O 2. Annealing (continued) - Temp: 900-1100°C - Time: 1-30 seconds (RTP) - Atmosphere: N2, Ar - Ramp rate: 50-250°C/sec 3. Dopant Activation - Temp: 1000-1300°C - Time: <1 second (Flash) - Peak power: 50-100 kW - Cool-down rate: >300°C/sec ### Thermal Budget Management #### Process Integration - Total thermal budget tracking - Junction depth control - Dopant diffusion modeling - Cost impact: $100-200/wafer #### Temperature Monitoring 1. In-situ: - Pyrometers: $15,000-30,000 - Thermocouples: $1,000-3,000 - Real-time mapping systems: $50,000-100,000 2. Ex-situ: - Temperature mapping wafers - Cost: $20,000-40,000/set - Lifetime: 50-100 measurements ### Energy Efficiency #### Power Consumption - RTP: 40-75 kW/chamber - Batch: 100-150 kW/furnace - Annual cost: $200,000-500,000/tool #### Heat Recovery Systems - Manufacturers: Edwards, Atlas Copco - Cost: $300,000-600,000 - ROI: 2-3 years - Energy savings: 20-30% ### Safety Systems 1. Gas Detection - Toxic gas monitors - H2 detection - Emergency shutdown - Cost: $50,000-100,000 2. Cooling Systems - Water chillers - Heat exchangers - Emergency cooling - Cost: $200,000-400,000 ### Advanced Features #### Process Control - Real-time temperature mapping - Automated recipe adjustment - Pattern density compensation - Cost: $100,000-300,000/tool #### Industry 4.0 Integration - Remote monitoring - Predictive maintenance - Virtual metrology - Annual subscription: $50,000-150,000

By Eduarda Ferreira