Thermally processing a substrate
US6803546B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 6, 2000 |
| Grant date | Oct 12, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 6, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/67248
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A thermal processing method is described in which a temperature response of a substrate may be controlled during a heat-up phase or a cool-down phase, or during both phases. This reduces the thermal budget of the substrate and improves the quality and performance of devices formed on the substrate. In particular, by controlling the rate of heat transfer between the substrate and a thermal reservoir (e.g., a water-cooled reflector plate assembly), the temperature response of the substrate may be controlled during the thermal process. The rate of heat transfer may be changed by changing the thermal conductivity between the substrate and the thermal reservoir, by changing the emissivity of a surface of the thermal reservoir, or by changing the distance between the substrate and the thermal reservoir.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.