Single Wafer Rapid Thermal Multiprocessing

Abstract

Future success in microelectronics will demand rapid innovation, rapid product introduction and ability to react to a change in technological and business climate quickly. These technological advances in integrated electronics will require development of flexible manufacturing technology for VLSI systems. However, the current approach of establishing factories for mass manufacturing of chips at a cost of more than 200 million dollars is detrimental to flexible manufacturing. We propose concepts of a micro factory which may be characterized by more economical small scale production, higher flexibility to accommodate many products on several processes, and faster turnaround and learning. In-situ multiprocessing equipment where several process steps can be done in sequence may be a key ingredient in this approach. For this environment to be flexible, the equipment must have ability to change processing environment, requiring extensive in-situ measurements and real time control. In this paper we describe the development of a novel single wafer Rapid Thermal Multiprocessing (RTM) reactor for next generation flexible VLSI manufacturing. This reactor will combine lamp heating, remote microwave plasma and photo processing in a single cold-wall chamber, with applications for multilayer in-situ growth and deposition of dielectrics, semiconductors and metals.

Rapid Thermal Multiprocessing For Micro Factories

“…These trends will solve some but not all of the problems described earlier. We see a significant opportunity in a new class of equipment as shown in Figure 2(d), where several fabrication steps can be sequentially done in the same equipment by combining several processing environments, in -situ monitoring, and extensive computer control [1] - [3]. Implementation of this new class of equipment in a facility, as shown in Figure 3 will result in a micro factory, which may be characterized by more economical small scale production, higher flexibility to accommodate many products on several processes, and faster turnaround and learning.…”

“…Based on that research we have developed a multiprocessing reactor for multilayer in -situ growth and deposition of dielectrics, semiconductors and metals by combining lamp heating, remote microwave plasma and photo processing in a single cold -wall chamber [1] - [3]. Figure 5 shows the schematic design of our RTM reactor.…”